Brothers in Arms
by ECOWhiskey
Summary: Miranda Lawson's 1st rule: Don't get close, friends are a weakness. Commander James Shepard fights first and foremost for his friends. When she see's his methods first hand her mind begins to change. My first stab at a fan fic, let me know how I do. Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Mass Effect, no copy right infringement intended, no revenue made, just for fun.
1. Chapter 1: Old Friends

Shepard Profile: First name: James; Paragon, Soldier (Commando), Earth Born, War Hero.

An ME2 story showing the friendship between Shepard and his old team and the impact it has on the new one. Developing Shep/Miri subplot.

Me 1: Wrex survived, so did Ashley Williams, Council was killed, replaced by diverse new council. Love interest was Ash.

Inspired indirectly by Miranda's quote: 'You have a fire inside you.'

This has evolved a lot since I started it. The 5-6 Chapter story I planned as my introduction to fan fiction's has evolved into something much bigger. I've had a lot of positive feed back so I'm going to keep going but am always keen for your thoughts.

* * *

**CH 1: Old Friends.**

**Normandy SR-2 (Omega).**

James Shepard lay back on his bed, his hands folded behind his head and sighed. The SR-2 was an impressive ship but he'd have traded his new command for his old in a second, not for the ship but for the people.

He was alone. No, that wasn't true, not completely. He trusted Chakwas and Joker totally but when it came to the people who would be backing him up on missions he had a boy scout and an idealist.

Jacob was a good soldier, sounded like a hell of a fighter but he'd never been a commando, never been N-7, never taught to be cynical in the way Shepard had. He was too eager to salute and say 'Yes sir' and follow orders without question, essential on the front lines but incredibly dangerous in the murky water's they were treading now. You had to ask the difficult questions, to challenge authority, to make a stand when you knew something was BS.

As for Miranda, she was smart enough to ask questions but he'd seen the light in her eyes when they'd spoken of Cerberus and that prick the Illusive Man. She believed in what she was doing, believed hard and that was much more dangerous than naivety. She'd rationalise any of the horrors she saw Cerberus commit as being for the greater good….they must be, it must all be worth it because if they weren't then the people she respected were monsters and it takes a very, very strong person to realise that. To her, goals mattered, people didn't

No James thought, bottom line he had no one on the ground he could trust completely, no one who went into combat not for big ideals, not for noble causes but to fight for their friends, their brothers. That's what he'd had on the old Normandy, that's what he missed now.

* * *

Shepard sprinted across the bridge, his heart racing, rifle cracking as he shot the freelancer in the back, there's no honor in a gutter fight.

A second merc was enveloped in a pulse of biotic force which tore him apart in a flash, James had to stop himself flinching, Lawson might be a cold one but she was undeniably lethal. No time to think though, they were across the bridge and into the room beyond.

There we're more free lance merc's ahead of them, they hadn't realised that Shepard and his team we're gunning for them, James wasn't planning on letting them fix their mistake.

"Take them now" he braked firing short bursts at the mercs who immediately started to spread out. Next to him Jacob's shot gun roared and one of them dropped. Another ducked in to cover, James tossed a grenade his way and the guy leapt out with a yell to avoid the blast and was cut down in Shepard and Miranda's cross fire. Another merc was crouched on the stairs shooting at them while to more raced along the landing towards the room Archangel was concealed in.

"Taylor watch our six, Lawson clear me a path" barked Shepard drawing his pistol and taking off at a run, the one remaining merc's shield tech sparked and exploded and he stumbled back stunned from Miranda's EMP. James leveled his pistol and hired a single, high impact shot and blew the man's brains out the back of his head. Then he was up the stairs and after the two mercs, heading towards the sound of shooting.

* * *

James looked at the cooling bodies of the mercs and then up at the Turian sniper, "Jacob cover the door, Lawson on me" he ordered stepping forward, his hands in front of him, he didn't want to catch this guy unawares, it was clear he was dangerous.

"Archangel I presume" said James, the Turian held up a hand and looked back down his rifle, paused and then fired off two shots in quick succession. There we're no screams from outside, just the sounds of two bodies hitting the ground. James raised an eyebrow, "Impressive….We've come a long way to find you, my names James Shepard….."

"Thank the Spirits….I thought for a second the galaxy had been cursed by a second freakishly ugly human" replied the Turian cutting Shepard off before he could finish the introduction.

James stopped, he stared hard at the sniper, "What….the hell…", in response the Turian reached up and undid his helmet, revealing his face and James was stunned.

Shepard blinked a few times, then strode purposefully towards the tall Turian sniper, reached him, flung his arms wide and grabbed the Turian in a bear hug. "Damn it Brother….you're a sight for sore eyes" Shepard managed his voice shaking with emotion, "Same to you Shepard" replied Garrus Vakarian hugging him back.

Miranda looked on as realisation struck, feeling annoyed and frustrated, Garrus bloody Vakarian, Shepard's old team mate and according to Cerberus intelligence one of his closest friends. This would complicate everything, now he would be distracted by a variable she hadn't foreseen.

Eventually Shepard let go of his friend and looked at him annoyed, "You shot me you ass hole" he growled in a mock angry tone. Garrus snorted, "Please that was barely a tap, had to make sure the bad guys thought you we're one of them. Good thing I saw you first though, if it had been either one of these two I'd have used a high power round and you'd be scraping brain matter off the walls."

Shepard gave a snort of laughter, "Figures the only time you actually hit anything is when you're trying not to", Garrus swore good naturedly, smiling, "Screw you Shepard, if there's two things I can do better than you its shoot and pick up women." "Dream on Vakarian, I'll out shoot you any place, any time" replied Shepard grinning back at his friend. Garrus smile turned cold and he jerked a talon at the window, "Care to put that to the test", James grinned back, "With pleasure."

They both un-slung their sniper rifles, knelt by the window and aimed over the bridge, "Lawson, Taylor watch our flanks" ordered James, "Just like old times eh Shepard" said Garrus grinning, "Don't remind me" replied Shepard grinning back, then the battle started.

* * *

_17 minutes later._

James charged back up from the ground floor saw Garrus get hit by the blast, saw him go flying across the room, saw him smash into the ground and lie there still, saw the blood pour from his face. He turned to the gunship, his face contorted in a killing rage.

"Taylor get Garrus, Lawson on me" he snapped running forward, grabbing the M-15 assault rifle from where it was leaning on the couch. It was modded with AP rounds, Garrus's custom load out, perfect.

Shepard ran to the window and dropped to one knee and raised the rifle as Miranda dropped in next to him. "I want that bastards barriers down Lawson, give it everything you have" he ordered. Miranda paused, "I can do it but only for a few seconds, time enough for one shot." Shepard looked at her, murder in his eyes, "That's all I need" he replied.

The gunship banked around, still spewing smoke from its engine and came in for a final pass, ready to deploy everything and wipe them out. 'This is crazy', thought Miranda, 'The Turian is dead, the mission is over, we need to get out.'

Something made her stay, partially it was the knowledge that she was as likely to die running as if she stayed put, partially it was the look of anger on Shepard's face, mostly it was the bitter taste of failure in her mouth. She did not leave things unfinished so as the gunship came head on towards them she braced herself, waiting until the gunship was right on top of them and then unleashed a searing blue pulse of biotic force.

The warp blast slammed into the gunship and its shields flickered and collapsed. Four point three seconds later the emitters re-established the integrity of the field and the shield re-activated.

James saw the shields flicker and die, his armor flooded his blood stream with adrenalin, time seamed to slow, he lined up the rifle cross hairs on the cockpit, on the pilot, exhaled….and fired one shot. The bullet struck the pilot in the head, he was dead before he knew what was happening and even as its shields restored the gunship plunged into a death spiral.

Miranda was breathing heavily, a faint sweat beading on her forehead with the effort of the warp attack but she stared, stunned at Shepard's shooting. She turned to speak to him but he was already moving towards the fallen Turian.

Shepard dropped on his knees next to his friend, "Call the Normandy, tell them to prep for a casualty" he ordered Jacob. "Commander he wont make it….." began Jacob but froze as Shepard whirled on him, "_Do as I damn well tell you know or so help me god_….", he didn't finish the threat, he didn't have to. Taylor was on the com to the Normandy ordering extraction and a med team.

Shepard pulled out the med gel from his suit and applied it liberally to Garrus's wounds and then followed with field dressings to try and staunch the blood and let the gel work. Suddenly Garrus's arm twitched and his eye flashed open, wide in pain.

James grabbed his friends hand and gripped it hard, "Stay With me….Brother, stay with me" he snapped still applying the med gel one handed.

Miranda knelt next to him and went to work helping him, swiftly dressing the wounds with cool efficiency. She glanced at Shepard and saw his face was wracked with emotion, anger and fear and despair at being unable to do more to help his friend. This was bad, he was showing signs of falling apart. Whatever happened to the Turian, Shepard would need careful management if he was going to be able to keep it together and complete their mission.


	2. Chapter 2: 'That's not who we are'

Note: The idea that Shepard would spend time reviewing reports with Miranda while Garrus was fighting for his life after the Dossier: Archangel mission just struck me as unrealistic. My solution – Time delay, he already knew what had happened to his friend.

* * *

**CH 2: 'That's not who we are.'**

**Normandy SR-2 (Omega).**

The next few minutes we're a blur, the training took over and Shepard was on auto pilot. He was dimly aware of Miranda and Jacob's disquiet at his actions, but he didn't care even slightly.

He stood over Garrus, doing everything he could to help his friend and ready to put himself between the turian and any threat.

Soon a medical team arrived from the Normandy led my Mordin Solus, the salarian they'd pulled out of the plague slums. He took over from Shepard and Miranda's field triage with rapid, jerky but supremely effective movements. Sealing the wounds he directed the med team to load Garrus onto a stretcher in short order.

Then they moved out, Shepard's squad providing cover to the medics as they all fell back as quickly as possible to the Normandy.

They got to the ship and without a word, still wearing his armour stained with his friends blood Shepard followed the medical teams straight down to the med bay.

Dr Chakwas was waiting for them, "Dear god Garrus…Shepard what happened", "Gunship…..killed it, can you save him doc."

Chakwas grimaced, "You bet I bloody will, professor stay please I need your help, Commander out we need space to work."

James wanted to protest, wanted to say that he was staying with his brother. Chakwas looked at him and gave him a soft smile, "Shepard the best thing you can do for Garrus is to give me space to save his life."

Shepard nodded, "Ok doc but….remember…..he's one of us", Chakwas nodded, "Damn right he is Commander now bugger off, professor let's get that artery clamped."

Shepard didn't go far, he leant against the bulkhead outside the infirmary and waited, still wearing his blood spattered armour. He ignored the looks of the crew and their questioning glances. Twice Jacob came to see him to report in, he responded with short, clipped orders, his attention elsewhere.

* * *

Miranda looked at the feed from the bug outside of the infirmary, focusing it on Shepard. He looked withdrawn, exhausted and…..broken.

Her lip curled with cold contempt, if this was the way he reacted at losing one man they we're in trouble. On a mission like this people would die, better not to get close in the first place then you wouldn't have to worry about falling to pieces like Shepard clearly was now.

She pulled up her half-finished report to the Illusive Man and continued writing. The turian was going to be a liability, his friendship with Shepard was a weakness, one it was clear the Spectre was ill equipped to handle and she wrote as much in her report.

Miranda paused before sending it. While it was undoubtedly true she'd been put here to make sure Shepard succeeded, to deal with any obstacles, even if they were of his own making. To send the report without at least confronting him and trying to talk some sense into him felt like saddling her superiors with a problem, or to put it more succinctly an admission of failure.

Miranda Lawson did not fail and she resolved to speak to Shepard, now.

Deck three was silent, with the daylight watch over, most had gone to bed and any on lookers had been chased away by Jacob, who'd clearly recognised that disturbing Shepard now would be a bad idea.

Miranda walked over to where Shepard leant against the bulkhead, the same position he'd held for two hours, brooding, lost in his own thoughts.

"Commander" she intruded, "Ms Lawson" he replied without turning to face her, his eyes fixed on the doors of the infirmary.

"Commander there are things which need your attention…." she began, he glanced over at her and he looked so tired, "Such as" he asked. "Our mission" she replied, "Our mission isn't going anywhere for a few hours" replied James, "Not if you stay hear moping" she replied.

She expected him to get angry but he didn't, he looked at her with a cold expression and an edge of steel entered his voice.

"If there is anything which genuinely needs my attention, a matter of life or death I'll come with you, otherwise you're more than capable of running the day to day work so just do it, you don't need me to micromanage and I'm sure you don't really want me to. That's not what this is about is it."

She glared at him, annoyed he'd seen through her façade. "Shepard you cannot let yourself get this emotional over one casualty, you have people depending on you…..", "Yes I do" he interrupted again. "I failed one of them today so now I'm going to wait here until I find out if he's going to make it, you have a problem with that, then tough luck."

Any further argument was forestalled by the door to the infirmary hissing open. Mordin and Chakwas emerged looking drained. Shepard strode over to them, "How is he doc" he asked.

Mordin responded first, "Stabilised using tissue grafts and cybernetics but in serious condition. Damage to major blood vessels severe. Large loss of blood, coboglobin transfers successful but severe stress to organs and tissues. Recovery dependant on ability to overcome oxygen starvation to tissues. Next phase critical."

James looked at Chakawas, "Doc….in English please."

Chakawas gave him a tired smile, "We've repaired the damage but he lost a lot of blood, he's stable but weak. Now it's a question of whether his body can survive the trauma it suffered, if he makes it through the next few hours hell be alright, all we can do is wait."

James nodded, "I want to see him", Chakawas raised a hand, "You can but not like that. No arguments commander, my infirmary is a sterile area, the last thing Garrus needs is an infection because you're covered in blood and filth from a battle, that will kill him. So go and shower, change into clean clothes and sterilise your hands, then providing your quiet you can stay with him as long as you want."

Shepard sighed and acknowledged her, "Ok doc thank you, same for you Mordin, sorry to drop you in at the deep end."

The salarian brushed it off with a smile, "Enjoyed it, a different sort of challenge to the clinic, conceptually simple medicine but require speed and energy. Know he is your friend Shepard, happy to help, did all I could, up to him now."

James nodded, "I know you did, right I'll be back in five minutes, Lawson bring anything critical to the med bay but unless its life or death deal with it yourself."

Seething with frustration at the man's short sightedness Miranda stepped in front of him, blocking his route to the elevator. "Commander a moment" she snapped.

Shepard sighed wearily but nodded, "Very well, see you two later." They both took the hint, Mornin heading off towards his lab and Chakawas retreating towards the infirmary.

James gave Miranda a level look, "Alright what's so critical it can't wait."

Miranda gave him a frosty glare, "Commander you cannot devote all your time to one man, to a personal attachment. You're needed in the CIC, we have to plan the next phase of our mission."

James shook his head, his eyes hard, "Listen closely Lawson, you chose me, you know, every detail of my past so you should know what I'm going to say, but I'll say it anyway."

He paused and then continued his voice hard. "We do not leave a friend alone in the dark when he's wounded. We do not let them wake up in pain on their own. That is not who we are. Not Ever."

James turned and walked towards the elevator, "I'll be in the med bay for the next few hours, if we come under attack I'll join you in the CIC. Until then I leave the ship in your capable hands. Oh and feel free to put it in your report to your boss that I thought Garrus was more important than his plans."

* * *

James sat and waited silently by Garrus's bed, he had a data pad filled with the day's reports which he was flicking through without paying much attention. There were surprisingly few and they were short and to the point, confirming his impression of Lawson. She was a hard ass and frankly a bit of a bitch but she was undoubtedly competent.

Every few minutes Shepard would glance at Garrus where he lay on the bed unconscious, his friend was tough but the wounds were savage. He believed in Garrus though, the turian never gave up.

"Thirty seconds faster and he'd still be whole, some soldier you are Shepard, you can't even move fast enough to save your best friend when it counts" he muttered darkly to himself.

Suddenly Garrus stirred, breaking his train of thought. James was up in an instant as his friend slowly opened his eyes. "Garrus….you with me brother" he asked hopefully.

Garrus's eyes locked onto his and he opened his mouth, speaking in a rasping, pained tone. "Oh spirits…..I must be in hell…no creature that hideous could exist in the real world.

Shepard stared at the turian for a long moment, shaking his head as an unbridled grin spread across his face. "You bastard…..you utter shit" he laughed joyously.

"Shepard….thirsty" Garrus said in a hoarse whisper. Immediately Shepard grabbed the bottle of ice water from the bed side table and handed it to Garrus who held it in a weak but steady grip and sipped greedily from the straw.

"Thanks that's better, although it's really the least you can do considering I blame you entirely for this", said Garrus grinning to show he wasn't serious. "I'm on my own for two years, not a scratch, not so much as a paper cut. You're back five minutes and I get blown up, you're a damn jinx" he growled with a chuckle.

"Don't expect any sympathy from me, I got over being dead by fighting my way out of an ambush so I don't know what your bitching about" replied Shepard grinning. "What is it you don't get about avoiding incoming heavy fire, or did all that dextro liquor finally kill your remaining brain cell."

Garrus smiled and glanced around, "Looks familiar….if I didn't know better….I'd say we were on the Normandy." "We are, you're not dreaming or hallucinating" replied James, "So there really is a Krogan in a pink, flower print dress over there making lunch" asked Garrus.

James glanced at the other end of the infirmary which was of course empty, "Yeah we call him Al" he replied with a grin. Garrus snorted, "We'll it's defiantly really you, your sense of humours still crap….and you can't shoot straight."

Shepard snorted, "Glad to see you're getting back to normal then, how are you feeling?"

Garrus winced lightly, "Sore and tired but otherwise not bad, face feels kind of numb." James nodded, "They had to use some cybernetics to keep you alive brother, I'm afraid it's going to scar." Garrus nodded, "Figured as much, you know some women like that….unfortunately their mostly Krogan."

James snorted again, "Good to see you've got your priorities straight" he said with a grin, "I'd better get the doc to come check you out, its Chakwas so you don't need to worry about a Cerberus doctor touching you up. On the down side as soon as you're out of the danger zone she's going to kill you for betting yourself blown up, anything else you need?"

Garrus shook his head, "To be honest I'm good to go, want to check my rifle, make sure you didn't screw up the zeroing."

James rolled his eyes, "Well I'll get the doc to clear you, once she's done that come find me and we'll get you some quarters so you can sort your gear and rest up. I'll be on deck two getting shouted at by an Australian."

"What's an Aus….Ous…what's one of those" asked Garrus.

"Oh you'll see buddy" said James with a grin, "Mean time take it easy."


	3. Chapter 3: Alone in the Black

**Ch3: Alone in the Black.**

**Normandy SR-2 (The Citadel).**

* * *

"Well that went fucking swimmingly" growled Shepard as he stalked into the briefing room.

"I take it your being sarcastic Shepard" replied Miranda, a hit of satisfaction in her tone.

Shepard grunted as he sat down, "We'll not in as much as I wanted to drown those useless bastards in the Presidium lake."

"Not that I object to the idea in principle Shepard but next time you might not want to say that _to their faces_" said Garrus entering with a grin.

Miranda put a hand to her head and massaged her temples, she'd known dealing with Shepard would be stressful but she'd underestimated his ability to screw up the most basic of plans. "So your visit to the council was a complete waste of time…..I could have told you that before you left" she said briskly.

"You did tell us that before we left" replied Shepard, "Repeatedly" added Garrus.

"Anyway it wasn't a complete waste of time, I hooked up with our latest recruit…ok that was possibly not the best choice of words" added Shepard as Garrus gave a chuckle.

"Kasumi Goto" asked Miranda.

Shepard nodded, "Yeah Jacob's getting her settled in the port side observation lounge on deck three, don't ask me why but it sounds like that's where she wants to be. I also managed to pick up some bits and pieces for the crew including something approximating real food for Gardener so we might get meals containing ingredients in colours other than grey."

The conversation, was cut off by the door as it opened and Jacob walked in. "Morning Commander" he said standing to attention and saluted. "Jacob please stop standing to attention every time we're in the same room, anyone who watches my back in a firefight gets to not do that" said James with a grin.

Jacob was caught off guard but nodded, "Aye-Aye sir." James resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So as we were discussing our team now consists of;an ex-marine with a compulsive need to do chin ups.

A super spy who moonlights as a necromancer.

A crazy salarian scientist who is busy dissecting….something, in his lab which put me of my lunch.

A self-described kleptomaniac Japanese girl.

A mercenary with no depth perception.

A turian who's a borderline acceptable marksman.

And a washed up former spectre who's just mouthed off at the governing body of the entire galaxy.

Any thoughts?"

Garrus looked at him, "This is the team that's going to save the galaxy…we're fucked."

Miranda gave him a glacial glare, "I would have thought that after Omega you wouldn't be inclined to underestimate us Mr Vakarian….believe me when I tell you you've barely begun to see what we're capable of."

Garrus gave her a mild look and shrugged, "Ms Lawson I'm under no illusions about our capabilities but nor do I underestimate the challenge ahead, unless we add significantly to our team we don't stand a chance."

Miranda saw the opening to get rid of the turian and his distracting influence on Shepard, "No one's forcing you to stay Mr Vakarian, if you're that pessimistic you can leave us to it, we'll be fine without you."

She expected Shepard to cut her off but he didn't and Garrus didn't lose his temper either, he responded in a calm, slightly amused tone.

"I'm not here for you Ms Lawson I'm here for Shepard, that's not something I'm going to walk away from so you don't have to worry about my commitment to the mission." He glanced at Shepard, "Because one day a man's walking down the street."

Shepard grinned and nodded, "That's all I ever need to hear from you buddy and your right, we do need more man power, any suggestions Lawson?"

Miranda was trying to figure out the significance of the turians words but she didn't miss a beat, "We have two more new personnel to recruit at the moment Shepard" she replied, "A human biotic being held in a penal facility station and a krogan warlord working with the Blue Suns mercenary group on Korlus."

Shepard glanced at Garrus, "Feel ready to play games with the Krogan yet?"

Garrus nodded, "I'm ready when you need me Shepard."

Shepard nodded, "We'll I'm sick of space stations, recycled air and water, I feel the need to actually walk under the sky and breath fresh air, even if it will stink of smog. We'll go after the krogan first, Garrus, Miranda you'll be going in with me, Jacob you'll have the bridge, let's get a mission plan put together, we'll leave tomorrow morning."

Miranda looked at him, "We can leave now Shepard and plan in flight."

Shepard shrugged, "We could but I don't know about you but I could do with a drink, I've been waiting to collect on a beer this bastard owes me for a little over two years and the Dark Star looks like it would be a good place to blow off some steam."

Miranda's cool expression never wavered; Jacob looked slightly perplexed but nodded.

Garrus grinned and rubbed his scars, "I'd go for that, this time you might get a fair shot with the ladies…..well maybe not fair but at least you're only twice as ugly as me now."

James flipped him the bird with a grin, "Ok, we'll I've got some upgrades I want to get in the pipe line anyway, I'm going to take a wild shot in the dark Garrus and say you've got some calibrations to do. Lawson, Taylor let's use the time, get the ship up to fighting spec and aim to be done by….let's say….eighteen hundred hours. Give those who want to a chance to grab something to eat and a drink, everyone back by oh-five hundred tomorrow morning, we'll depart at oh-seven hundred."

* * *

Once the meeting was done Miranda hung back, waiting for the others to leave, Shepard guessed she was waiting for him and nodded at Garrus to give them the room.

"Alright Ms Lawson lets have it" he said.

"Shepard, do you really think now is the best time for…..getting drunk" she asked incredulous.

Shepard sighed, "Actually yes. This mission could take weeks or months, we try and stay wound up the whole time we'll snap like piano wire. We need to relax occasionally, we're not under any critical time pressure at the moment so now's as good a time as any."

Miranda looked at him icily, her frustration mounting, "It's your decision Shepard…..but I think you're making a mistake."

Shepard sighed, "Yes you've made that clear, but I'm not changing my mind. Now I've got something to drop off to the doc, shall we walk as we talk."

They stood in the elevator, Miranda's face a cold mask, Shepard his usual genial self. He glanced at her and broke the silence, "Good job on Omega to by the way, your biotics made the difference in that fight, it's nice to have someone on my team who can lay waste to gunships for once."

Miranda kept up the glare but she shrugged, "I was doing my job Shepard, Cerberus expects the best and I deliver, failure is not an option."

Shepard lent back and looked at the ceiling, "We'll whatever your reasons thanks for helping me save a friend….I don't take that sort of thing lightly."

Miranda sighed at the naivety and pinched the bridge of her nose, "You've made that abundantly clear, did you ever stop to think you friendship could be a weakness."

Shepard looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, "I'm going to go out on a limb and take a guess that most of your operations with Cerberus we're solo opps, just you, no back up."

Miranda glanced at him and then looked away, "You might be correct and I never failed."

James smiled as the elevator doors opened, "We'll ask yourself this, did you ever stop to think my friendship with Garrus, with Tali, with Wrex, might be my greatest strength."

Miranda walked past him, "Sentimentality Shepard…..another weakness you can't afford at the moment" she replied glaring back at him.

Shepard shook his head and he had a look on his face of…..pity, not condescending or arrogant but genuine pity, it was not an expression Miranda as used to being directed at her. "I hope you'll change your mind on that Miranda…..for your own sake if no one else's."

As she walked to her office Miranda realised that was the first time Shepard had called her by her first name.


	4. Chapter 4: Lock Down

**Note:**

Thanks for the very positive response I've had so far, my ego's suitably enhanced.

This chapters longer, thought about cutting it into two but decided against it. Am trying to keep it short and punchy.

Feedback always appreciated.

* * *

**Ch 4: Lock Down.**

**Purgatory; Prison Ship.**

"Oh today just isn't my day" snarled Shepard ducking into cover as the mechs raked his position.

"Lawson, Fenris, watch you flank" he snapped pointing at the dog mechs coming round her left flank. One of them went down to a hit from her EMP, the second to waspish bursts from her SMG. However the momentary distraction meant a slacking of the cross fire they were laying down which the Blue Sun's used to advance on him and Taylor.

"Jacob line them up I'll knock them down" ordered James lifting the M-15 battle rifle. Jacob made a gesture, his hand glowing blue and one of the leading mercs advancing on them was yanked bodily up into the air and into James's sights.

"Tap-tap" he whispered, squeezing the trigger twice and ending the flailing merc's struggles but the others kept coming. James winced, this was going to get messy.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2:**

Garrus was in the CIC listening to the garbled comms, he heard Shepard snapping orders and the rapid response of the others and above it all he heard the increasing volume of gunfire and the occasional boom of rockets. One thing was certain, they were in trouble.

Garrus had never been very good at sitting around doing nothing, in C-Sec he'd had no choice, now he did and he was damned if he was leaving his friend out on a limb.

"EDI can you pin point their location" he barked at the AI. "Affirmative Mr Vakarian" replied the slightly off tone voice as the hologram burst into life. "Right up load it to my omni tool, tell Zaeed to meet me at the air lock in five minutes."

"Mr Vakarian I am also detecting several hundred prisoners and guards as well as numerous mech's between the teams position and us, you will not be able to reach them without being overwhelmed."

Garrus smiled grimly, "I'll be going in quietly, working with James Shepard teaches you there is a time for stealth and this is it. Now get Zaeed here."

* * *

**Purgatory; Prison Ship.**

Miranda made herself stay calm, refusing to let her face betray the anger she was feeling. After their mission on Korlus had gone so well, this one was rapidly turning into a disaster.

True Korlus had been a tough fight but one they were ready for. Her biotics, Shepard's aggressive, rapid assaults and Vakarian's pin point marksman ship cutting through the enemy and letting them get the tank bred krogan they'd found, Grunt as he called himself, out.

Purgatory by contrast was turning into a blood bath, a slugging match at close quarters where their superior training and abilities were being steadily eroded by massive firepower and overwhelming numbers.

All because that Bastard Blue Suns turian had betrayed them.

Shepard led them through a hole in a bulkhead into the room beyond, greeted by yet more gunfire which sparked off his shields as he dived into cover.

"Shit….Lawson on me, Taylor try to push in close, take those mercs on the left. Lawson clear him a path, I'll hit the shooters on the gantry" he shouted gesturing at an overhead walkway where the heaviest gunfire was coming from.

Miranda hit one of the Blue Suns in front of Jacob with a warp field and followed up the mass effect blast with a burst from her Shuriken, cutting down a second gunman as he lined up a shot on Jacob. Next to her Shepard was snapping of short bursts from his rifle, trading fire with the mercs on the gantry opposite them.

Miranda saw a Blue Sun moving in on Jacob's right as he advanced, going for his blind spot. She levelled the SMG one handed, "Night, Night" she spat and squeezed off a short burst directly at him, dropping the merc in a spray of crimson.

Shepard glanced right at the fallen merc."Nice shot….I've got to push right or they'll flank us and roll us up, cover me" he ordered before vaulting the barricade and moving swiftly. Past where Jacob was now shooting at the mercs to their left flank and heading right, towards the new threat.

Somehow they were turning the fight around. Shepard was being aggressive almost to the point of recklessness but it was paying off forcing the enemy to react to them. Once Jacob had cleared out the enemy position on there left flank Shepard ordered him to lay down cover as Miranda moved forward to a new position parallel with Shepard's own, driving the mercs there out with biotic warp blasts and into Shepard's sights.

They killed three between them like that. All through it Shepard stayed calm, directing their attack, guiding them into good positions, moving when he saw an opening to hit a weak spot or outflank the enemy and constantly firing with lethal effect. Miranda was grudgingly impressed, here it seemed Shepard was in his element.

They were winning, they had taken the second to last enemy barricade across the width of the room and Shepard's marksmanship in combination with her and Jacob's biotics had finally dealt with the last of the gunmen on the gantry.

They were in good cover in an elevated position, almost through the enemy defense and onto the door at the far side of the chamber.

Then the bulkhead exploded and the heavy mech entered the room.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2.**

Garrus met Zaeed at the airlock, "What's going on Vakarian" snapped the mercenary, "Shepard's in trouble, I'm going in after him and I need a rear guard to stop anyone swarming the Normandy, you're it" replied Garrus checking his weapons.

"You're going in on your own, are you crazy" asked Zaeed, "I signed on with James Shepard of my own free will….twice" replied Garrus.

Zaeed spat on the deck, "Fuck that, give me one good reason why I should risk my neck out there."

Garrus paused, looked at him coolly and very deliberately cocked his rifle, "I'll give you two, one the merc's out there are your old pals the Blue Suns. Two if you don't I will take it personally….very personally."

Zaeed locked gazes with the Turian for a long moment, then shrugged, "Fine, whatever Vakarian."

Garrus smiled, "I knew you'd see it my way, let's go."

* * *

**Purgatory; Pison Ship.**

Miranda hated the bloody heavy mechs, a mobile weapons platform with heavy armour, kinetic barriers and no thought of self-preservation. Not an enemy that could be out thought or out scared into retreat or doing something stupid, they required a brutal battle of attrition to win, not her style at all.

Sheaprd reacted to the mech as she knew he would, head on.

Leaping up with a yell of "Cover me" he charged left, across their field of fire towards the mech, snapping off shots as he did which struck the YMIR head on. It didn't expect the movement or the fire and its aim was thrown for a vital second so the stream of tracer which would have torn Shepard apart when overhead as he dived into cover.

"Lawson get into cover and hit the damn thing with an EMP, Taylor watch her back" he ordered. "I don't need a bloody nurse maid Shepard" she spat back.

Shepard's initial reply was drowned out by the impact of the rocket which struck the other side of his cover.

"Fuck…agh" he snarled, "Lawson this is not me being chivalrous, we lose you we lose our EMP and then we're well and truly fucked. So damn well stay in cover and overload the damn YMIR's shields."

They hammered the mech, Shepard drawing its fire, taking the heat off Miranda so she could hit its shields with concentrated EMP blasts. Each time she did the YMIR would turn towards the new threat and Shepard would rise out of cover, fast as lighting, the tell-tale sign of an adrenal boost, and hit it with short bursts of armour piercing rounds aimed at its head and weapon mounts.

Between them they wore it down, working together, hammering its blind stops. The damn thing fought back, their shields flashing as they took hits. None of them escaped unscathed, Jacob was skimmed by a piece of shrapnel which opened up his scalp and it bled like crazy. Miranda herself hissed in repressed pain as a piece of shrapnel opened up a deep cut on her hand, missing the tendons by a hairs breath.

Shepard though took a whole different level of battering. By the end it was clear he had broken ribs and at least one bullet had penetrated his armour, blood jetting down his side.

Finally the thing collapsed, far too close to his position for comfort. Shepard dived into cover as the power cells went critical and the explosion ripped through the immediate area.

Standing up painfully Shepard used the unity command function on his armour to remotely activate the medi-gel dispensers in his teams armour, increasing the dose the armour's passive systems were issuing by an order of magnitude. The fight felt like it had taken hours but in fact had been over in about two minutes.

"Ok…good work people, you ok to keep moving", before they could respond the large cargo doors at the other end of the room opened and with sickening mechanical thuds two more YMIR mech's strode in.

"Shit, take cover" ordered Shepard un-slinging his grenade launcher and diving behind a crate, "This day is turning out to be no fun at all" he muttered as the mech's opened fire.

* * *

Garrus rapidly crawled through the ventilation systems, approaching the room where he knew Shepard and the others would be. He didn't need to use the omni-tool map any more, he just followed the sound of shooting.

* * *

Under heavy fire they managed to drop one of the YMIR''s as Miranda hit it with a concentrated EMP and a second later Shepard put three grenades on its head, blowing it apart in a fiery explosion. The second mech though had advanced between them and was closing on Shepard, about to isolate and trap him in his firing position where he had been forced to stay to deal with the first mech.

Miranda hit it with a warp attack which struck the mech and tried for an EMP but her omni tool was still recharging. In desperation she opened up with her SMG, but the light weapon barely made a dent in the mech's armour as it closed on Shepard. Jacobs shot gun wasn't much better and in desperation he'd switched to his hand cannon, firing the Carnifex repeatedly at the mech.

Then to make matters worse a squad of LOKI mechs came through the door behind the YMIR, opening fire with there light weapons. They weren't a major threat but they forced Miranda and Jacob to switch their fire to them and off the YMIR which now advanced un-hindered on Shepard.

Shepard was pinned down by a torrent of fire and soon he would have to break cover and be gunned down or be crushed under the mech's feet. "Fuck" he snapped looking for a way out, finding none.

Then a super charged EMP hit the mech and dissolved its shields. "Nice shot Lawson" he said, before realising the mech was still mobile, "It wasn't me Shepard" she replied over the com.

"Heads up Shepard, twelve o'clock high", came a new voice over the com.

James glanced up in time to see the blue armoured turian drop from the roof onto the YMIRs back, pull something from his armour and clamp it onto the things head, then vault clear as the mech thrashed, trying to dislodge him.

Miranda realised what the shape charge was a second before it blew and took the YMIRs head off. The mech staggered and collapsed "Take cover it's going to blow" yelled Jacob as the power cells went critical.

The explosion stunned them all, making them hug cover. The LOKI mech's were also thrown of balance by the blast. Mirianda rose to take advantage of the distraction when a sudden volley of gunfire sliced into the mechs from there left flank, tearing them apart.

She looked over to see Shepard and Vakarian, moving swiftly as they fired in slick, rapid motions, one dashing to new cover as the other fired at the mechs. Moving parallel to the LOKI squad, gunning them down as they did. Then she heard their chatter over the com…..it was not what she expected.

"What the hell took you so long jackass" snapped Shepard shooting.

"I stopped to take in dinner and a show" replied Garrus, running to new cover and raising his rifle.

"What did you see", asked Shepard ducking behind the turian and sprinting to new cover.

"That new all elcor production of Hamlet", replied Garrus gunning down a mech with precise shots.

"Is it any good" asked Shepard adding his fire to Garrus, catching the mech's in a lethal cross fire."

"Bit pedestrian but very well delivered….I'd give it a solid four out of five" replied Garrus catching a mech trying to outflank Shepard.

"I'll try to catch it next time I'm on the Citadel then" Shepard added lightly shooting down the last mech.

They paused, sweeping their rifles, scanning for more targets, there were none.

Miranda was stunned, she managed to conceal it well, slipping into the well-practiced dismissive persona but there was no denying it.

In thirty seconds the two of them had annihilated a squad of mechs without biotics or tech attacks or even heavy weapons. Just their rifles and their combat skills and…..something else.

She'd seen many professional killers at work, she was lethally efficient in combat herself. But there had been an energy to Shepard and Vakarian's attack that transcended mere aggression, it was all the more apparent for the light hearted, almost relaxed way they'd treated the whole fight.

Pulling herself together Miranda walked down towards them, past Jacob who was staring open mouthed in amazement.

"God damn Miranda, did you see that" he asked, "Pull yourself together Jacob, you're a professional" she replied.

Shaking his head Jacob joined her as she headed over to Garrus and Shepard.

Shepard nodded to them as they approached, "Good work people, that was some seriously tough going, lucky you showed up you ugly bastard" he said with a grin to Garrus. "Yes your timing was fortuitous…..if unplanned Mr Vakarian" added Miranda.

Garrus rolled his eyes, "You're welcome Ms Lawson" he replied with a smirk.

"Alright break it up" said Shepard grinning. "I'm still good to go, are you both intact."

Jacob nodded eagerly, Miranda gave a slight inclination of her head, "Of course Shepard" she replied. Shepard glanced round, "Ok there's no shortage of thermal clips lying around but we're short on medi gel."

"You'll just have to do what you always do Shepard, steal it from some unsuspecting passer-by" replied Garrus with grin.

Shepard paused, pursed his lips and nodded, "That'll work, ok police up the bodies, thermal clips, weapons, tech, medigel. We move in one minute, let's find this girl and get the job done."

* * *

Jacob flipped a body with his boot and winced, "Guard got swarmed by the prisoners before the mechs got involved, got shived….messily."

Garrus looked over his shoulder and grimaced, "Shows you what kind of people these prisoners are. I don't agree with everything they do here but it's in the galaxies best interest to keep them locked up. This guard kept maniacs from hurting innocent people."

James looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Don't be short sighted brother, this isn't a prison it's a cattle market. Besides if we'd been locked up and I'd watch you having finger nails pulled out and I got a chance for a little pay back…..I'd gut the bastards."

Garrus gave him a glare and huffed, "Why do you have to challenge my prejudices with a perfectly reasonable argument Shepard."

James shrugged, "It amuses me, everyone ready let's get mobile, I want to get to this girl before one of these bastards gets lucky….or she tears the ship apart." He glanced up to see Miranda watching them intently, "You good Lawson" he asked.

She paused then nodded, "Yes….lets go" she added briskly.

* * *

They moved through another hole blown in a bulk head, over a deck strewn with debris and mangled bodies, weapons up and scanning.

"This girl is powerful, but she lacks subtlety muttered Garrus.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Ah the fine analytically mind of the C-sec investigator at work, tell me inspector what was your first clue."

"Piss off Shepard" replied Garrus with a grin.

Then they froze and dropped to one knee their weapons up, listening to the warden's broad cast over the prison loud speakers. "This guy is really starting to piss me off" commented Shepard.

"Sounds like he's up ahead" added Jacob.

"Well then, let's go return some of his marvelous hospitality" replied Shepard checking his rifle.

* * *

They emerged in time to see the warden gun down another unarmed prisoner, Miranda felt contempt at the narrow minded waste and inability to plan for contingencies that showed.

"Cover" ordered Shepard as they entered, moving swiftly out of the line of fire as the warden turned towards them.

"Your valuable Shepard, I could have sold you and lived like a king" he shouted.

"Don't get any ideas Vakarian, I see my name on an extranet auction site you and I will be having words" Shepard said to his friend lightly.

"But your too much trouble, at least with you dead I can recapture Jack" the Warden continued, ranting.

"Bare faced prick" shouted back Garrus, earning a burst of fire from the warden's LMG which he ducked to avoid.

Miranda was about to admonish Garrus for being unprofessional when she realised Shepard was using the distraction to quickly check the warden's position before sliding into cover.

"Three shield projectors, we'll need to take them first. Garrus I'll get his attention, take Taylor and move right, then hit the right hand projector with your EMP, Taylor cover his back. Lawson stay with me, when Garrus goes loud you hit the one on the left, I'll cover you, then we focus fire on the one in the centre."

"Got it brother, Jacob lets go" Garrus said dropping flat and leopard crawling right, keeping out of sight his rifle cradled in his arms, Jacob followed suit.

Shepard motioned to Miranda to be ready then raised his voice and shouted, "You're a two bit slave trader Kuril so I won't appeal to your honour but how about your survival instinct. The only way you get out of here alive is with me, give it up now, let Jack go and I promise I'll drop you off in Alliance space where you'll get a fair trial and a cell in a prison which compared to this place will be a paradise."

His answer was accompanied by a long burst of gun fire and Shepard ducked down again.

"I make the hard choices civil governments are unwilling to" he yelled back. Miranda saw Shepard roll his eyes, "Well I tried, I really did but some people just don't want to be helped, be ready Lawson."

To Kuril he shouted, "Tell me, what's the view like with your head that far up your own ass."

The warden's response was drowned out by the crackle of Garrus's EMP hitting home.

* * *

Miranda glanced contemptuously at the dead warden, one thing you could say for Shepard he finished what he started. He was too soft but once he made up his mind to deal with a situation he did it, no matter the opposition…..or the odds.

That seemed to be doubly the case with Garrus Vakarian backing him up and she couldn't help but contrast Shepard earlier grim resolve with the easy, relaxed confidence he showed when fighting next to his friend.

"Do you know Sherlock…..I'd say by the trail of broken bodies that Jack went this way" commented Shepard to Garrus. Needling his friend, "Piss off Shepard or I will have to perform a citizen's arrest on you for looting" commented Garrus with a wiry grin.

Their conversation was cut off by the sounds of shouting just round the corner, followed by shots and the 'whoosh' of biotics.

"Let's move" ordered Shepard and they broke into a run.

* * *

The two Blue Suns who'd tried to stop her were already dead and she was staring out of the window, almost frothing at the mouth with anger, so much so she didn't notice the merc closing on her from behind.

Shepard's M-5 barked once, the merc dropped to the floor, blood splattered the glass around Jack and she whirled around to face them.

"What the hell do you want" she snapped, her body glowing blue with biotics.

"Take it easy Jack, my names James Shepard, I'm here to take you off this hell hole" replied Shepard calmly.

If he was expecting gratitude he was disappointed, she spat on the deck, "Don't give me that crap what do you really want."

Miranda's eyes narrowed, she was about to speak but Shepard beat her to it, his tone calm and reasonable. "Like I said, you're in trouble I'm here to get you out of it."

Jack snarled at him and paced like a feral cat, "Shit you sound like a pussy to me."

Shepard appeared to consider this for a moment before replying with a shrug and a grin, "Nah….I don't have the warmth or depth to pull it off."

That wrong footed Jack, she glared at him, "What" she snapped.

Miranda felt the start of a migraine coming on, "Oh for heaven's sake cant he take anything seriously", she hissed under her breath.

"There's been absolutely no evidence of it to date" replied Garrus who's hearing was clearly sharp. As he spoke he moved slowly to one side so he had a clear line of sight to the agitated young biotic.

Shepard meanwhile still looked calm, relaxed and as non-threatening as it was possible to look in N-7 combat armour. Jack was clearly having difficulty working out weather he was a threat or not…..but predictably she reacted aggressively.

"You think I'm stupid, I'm not going anywhere with you, I don't fucking trust Cerberus."

"I'm not with Cerberus, they're with me" replied Shepard which ratcheted Miranda's head ache up another notch, she felt her knuckles going white on the grip of her pistol as her frustration mounted.

"Bull shit", snapped Jack gesturing at the prow of the Normandy and the Cerberus symbol.

Shepard sighed, "Look Jack ask yourself this, what reason have I got to lie to you at this point…..I mean think about it. If I wanted you dead I could just leave you here, I'm offering you a free ride, no strings."

She paused, crossed her arms and fixed him with a glare, "Make it worth my while."

"How" asked Shepard calmly.

"I want information, everything you've got on Cerberus, every file, every record, I want to see what Cerberus has on me."

Shepard paused then to Miranda's outrage and horror he nodded, "Deal, full access."

"Shepard you don't have the authority to do that" Miranda spat, her frustration boiling over.

He looked over at her, his expression set in unflinching stare, "No I don't, but you do" he replied simply, leaving Miranda speechless with indignation.

"Ah it upsets the cheerleader, even better" hissed Jack.

"The 'cheerleader' just got shot up breaking you out Jack" replied Shepard his voice suddenly hard, "In exchange for the data you play by my rules, don't start any trouble you'll get none from me, do we have a deal?"

She glared at him and nodded, "Deal, you better be straight with me Shepard."

He nodded, "I am, now let's get the hell off this garbage scow before it breaks up."


	5. Chapter 5: Under My Skin

**Ch 5: Under My Skin**

**Normandy SR-2.**

Miranda was used to repressing her anger, used to having it simmer below the surface while she had on a calm mask.

What she was not used to was people being totally unafraid of her wrath. People in Cerberus knew if you'd screwed up around Miranda Lawson you ran and you hid, it wouldn't save you but it might buy you enough time that she found some other target for her ire.

Shepard on the other hand not only didn't hide but actively sort her out, "Have you got a minute Lawson" he asked walking into her office and leaning one hand on the back of the chair facing her desk.

"There's a lot to do Shepard" she replied icily.

He smiled, "Yeah….that's why you don't want to speak to me" he said sarcastically. "If you're going to get pissy with me every time we have a disagreement this is going to be a very tense trip" he added sitting down in the chair and putting a cup on her desk.

She glared at the cup like it was a personal insult, "What's that" she asked eventually.

"Peace offering" replied.

She transferred her glare to him, "A cup of tea" she asked an incredulous and annoyed tone.

Shepard smiled disarmingly, "Hey I challenge you to find another ship where the CO brings his XO tea, that's what a yeoman's for….I'm just avoiding mine because her excessive perkiness is deeply unsettling."

Miranda frowned, "If there's a problem with Chambers I can have someone else assigned."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "Chambers is ideal, she's a ray of sunshine we all need it's just hard for a cynical bastard like myself to accept that anyone can be that cheerful without chemical assistance."

Miranda's glare returned, "Can you take nothing seriously Shepard" she asked.

"Generally no" replied Shepard.

"Don't you understand what's at stake here" asked Miranda.

"Of course I do" replied Shepard softly, his tone suddenly soft but firm, "Why do you think I treat everything as a joke, what's my alternative Miranda."

There it was again, the use of her first name, it made her pause and he continued.

"I've seen good friends die and it rips you up inside, but you know you have no choice but to carry on. So you can retreat and shut everyone out. Or you can chose to not take all the crap out there too seriously, make a joke out of it, the fear, the anger, the pain. If you laugh at it becomes so much more manageable and if you laugh at it with your friends then you become closer, like family, ready to stand by each other against anything because it is just a bit of fun."

Miranda shook her head. "Can I ask you something Shepard."

He shrugged, "Fire away."

She paused, choosing her words carefully, "When you and Vakarian were fighting together, you seemed….different, more energetic, more relaxed, more calm...why."

Shepard smiled and shrugged, "No great secret there, when I'm in combat I fight for my friends and Garrus is my closest, more like a brother really. When we're backing each other up neither one is going to let the other down so we fight harder, faster and we enjoy it….I know that sounds terrible but it's true. When I'm fighting next to a friend I trust completely all the concern, all the fear, all the worries gone."

"So you only give one hundred percent when you're fighting with your friends?" challenged Miranda.

Shepard shook his head, "More like I give one hundred and twenty percent, it's not a conscious decision, I was giving my all when it was just the three of us but with Garrus there….I draw on reserves I don't have the rest of the time."

Miranda lent back and steepled her fingers and looked at him with narrowed eyes, "I find that…..hard to believe Shepard."

He shrugged, "After you've been through what we've been through together you get closer than most families. Think about it though, are you really telling me there's no one in the galaxy who, if you were trapped in a desert with them, without thinking about it you'd share your last mouthful of water with them."

Miranda's eyes flared wide….did he know….did the bastard somehow know….no he couldn't.

But Shepard had seen her change of expression and he nodded pointedly, "There it is" he said with a triumphant smile.

Miranda was about to throw him out, preferably with her biotics but her professionalism kicked in.

He would already be suspicious after she'd snapped at him when he'd asked about what she'd given up to join Cerberus.

If she exploded now it would give him serious reason to investigate and while she doubted he'd find anything himself he might through up red flags for others to follow.

So instead she narrowed her eyes and gave him her trade mark glare, "I have advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry and behavioural science Shepard, don't try to analyse me" she snapped.

Shepard held up his hands, "Okay, okay, don't worry I won't pry, can I ask you something else."

She nodded, eager to talk about anything to get him off this topic.

"You're very prickly about Jack not liking Cerberus and I know it pisses you off when I don't follow the official Cerberus line and use my own methods. I know you believe in them, hard…..my question is why? You're two smart for it to be purely ideological, you question everything but seem to take Cerberus at face value, why?"

Mirianda looked back at him, "Why were you loyal to the Alliance Shepard."

Shepard paused, "I was and still am loyal to my duty to humanity and my brother marines, I'm not saying I think the alliance or its ideals are a bad thing, they clearly aren't. But I didn't have the same….I'm going to say blind faith…..in the higher ups that you have in the Illusive Man."

Miranda lent back, eyed him critically, "Then why did you fight so hard against Saren and on Elysium", Shepard shrugged, "Because I wasn't going to let my friends down."

Miranda sighed at the simplicity of that, there had to be more to it than just that…..didn't it…..but then again she had fought hard to make sure….no that was different.

She rose and walked to the window, looking out at space, giving her time to gather her thoughts and compose her expression.

Shepard didn't follow her but sat watching her intently.

She paused then spoke still without looking at him, "Do you remember how I told you I was genetically altered?"

Shepard nodded, "Yeah…..was that Cerberus?" he asked.

Miranda shook her head, "No and it wasn't my choice….my father ….created me."

Shepard paused, "Ok…I'm assuming there's more to this than boy meets girl?"

Miranda couldn't help but give a bitter laugh, "Actually less…..my father was…is a very influential man and extremely controlling."

She turned around and looked at Shepard, he was sitting back, clearly giving her his full attention, all traces of humour gone.

"He didn't want a daughter, he wanted a dynasty. I ran away as soon as I was old enough and I ran to Cerberus because they could protect me."

Shepard gave her a questioning look, "Things must have been bad if you thought you needed Cerberus to protect you."

She nodded, "My father invested a great deal in his dynasty. I couldn't just walk away, he'd go to great lengths to protect his…investments."

She mentally curses as she realised she'd slipped and used the plural…..but if Shepard noticed he gave no sign.

"Your father's powerful then" he asked.

She nodded, "Powerful, influential, he had half the alliance high command in his pocket and influence through council space. Cerberus is different…..he was a big believer in its values and donated generously to it, that's how I found out about them. But the Illusive Man makes the decisions…..he can't be swayed by bribery or blackmail. I knew that as long as a proved useful I'd be safe."

Shepard's expression was sympathetic, "What about your mother."

Miranda looked away, "I never had a mother, most of my genetic material came from my father, extensively modified and mixed with a cocktail of genes to produce desired traits. How arrogant can you be."

Shepard looked at her and shook his head slowly and there it was again, an expression of pity. It unsettled her.

"Screwed by the person who is meant to support you most, that's…..a fairly crappy way to start out."

Miranda shrugged, "I have no regrets, it taught me self-reliance, besides I'm not the only one who had to run, you ran to the Alliance from gangs."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Yes but there is a difference."

Miranda looked at him, "What" she asked flatly.

Shepard smiled, "My squad mates in the alliance weren't watching my back because I was a useful asset for them….they we're doing it because they were my friends."

Miranda shrugged, "Motivations aren't important Shepard, results are."

He sighed sadly, "Ok Miranda but for what its worth if I'd known you back then….you wouldn't have to have run alone."

Miranda didn't know how to respond to that so instead she sat down and her eyes flicked to her computer screen, automatically picking up the cup of tea and taking a sip…..and her face wrinkled in disgust….it was foul.

She glared at Shepard who grinned, his relaxed humour showing through, "Hey there is a reason why it's a yeoman's job to make the tea…..the CO's generally crap at it."

He rose and gestured to the door, "How about something stronger, while out back was turned Kasumi has apparently turned the port side observation lounge into a cross between an art gallery and a bar."

Miranda gestured at her monitor, "There's a lot to do Shepard."

He shrugged, "Fair enough, see you later Lawson" and turned to go, leaving Miranda with her thoughts and more convinced than ever that Shepard was too deeply invested emotionally in his team…..which apparently now included her.

* * *

James headed over to the port observation lounge, nodding greetings to various crew on the way. He needed a drink and to process what Miranda had just told him, he didn't like seeing people clearly in pain, especially if they were a beautiful woman….

James stopped and blinked…..when had he started thinking of Miranda as a beautiful woman and not 'that manipulative Cerberus bitch'…..he needed to watch that…..yes she was attractive….very attractive. But she used that as a tool to manipulate and intimidate people, he had to be careful he didn't fall under her spell….still her latest confession seemed heartfelt….he'd have to watch himself.

On the way he stopped to use the bathroom, glancing in the mirror noticed his scars were mostly gone, the orange glow had disappeared from the blue of his eyes and his jet black hair was starting to grow out. N-7 marines rarely had it in a regulation cut to aid on undercover missions. He'd had to conform to the normal regs when he'd been made XO of the old Normandy and decided he would quietly ignore that now, one of the bonuses of being a wanted terrorist.

Running his hand over his jaw, which an old girlfriend had described as chiselled….which Garrus had said meant looking like a badly carved rock covered in moss he headed to the port side observation deck, thinking he needed a shave.

His friend was already inside, talking to Kasumi who was playing bar tender. The thief's sense of humour mas defiantly infectious, Garrus was shaking his head grinning at a joke

"Ah here he is, the more famous but less talented or attractive half of Vakarian and Shepard, damn show boater." "Ha don't listen to him Kas, he just hangs onto my coat tails and basks in my reflected glory" replied James sitting down next to them.

The girl laughed, "Hey Shep, whatcha having", "Well it's your quarters Kas, whatever's your poison of choice" replied Shepard.

Kasumi grinned, "One sake coming right up."

"How the hell did you get…..you know what I don't want to know, Garrus's C-sec instincts might kick in and if he starts arresting people for theft I'm in big trouble" replied Shepard.

Garrus rolled his eyes, "There's a limit to the amount of paper work I'm prepared to do….justice must be served but there is a limit. Besides you're too ugly for prison, no one deserves to have you as there bitch."

Shepard elbowed his friend with a grin, "Ok Kas I need to be drunk to put up with this ass…thanks….to absent friends" he said raising his drink. They all drank in silence and for a moment were quite.

"How are the ribs" asked Garrus once the moment was past.

James shrugged, "Doc fused them, I should be fine….she explained in a calm and reasonable way why I needed to be more careful…."

"I told you I'd shove that bone fuser where the sun doesn't shine next time commander" interjected Chakwas as she walked over. "And you Garrus Vakarian what we're you playing at let him get shot up, you know he suffers from chronic terminal stupidity."

Garrus laughed, "Ah doctor even a super soldier like me can only do so much in a case as acute as his."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "Why do I put up with any of you" he asked in a mock annoyed tone.

"Because you don't like to drink alone" replied Chakwas sitting down next to them.

"Well that's true….Kas can you do us another round" asked James.

"Sure thing Shep" replied Kasumi reaching for the sake bottle.

"Hows Jack doing physically doc" James asked as Kasumi poured the drinks.

Chakwas signed, "I've no idea Commander she wouldn't let me near her….she clearly has trust issues, doctors and Cerberus both being high up the list of people she doesn't trust, put them together….."

Shepard nodded, "Alright we'll I won't try to force her, I'll make sure to keep an eye on her though, see if she'll let Mordin check her over. Somehow I doubt the health care in that prison was up to your usual standards."

"Jacks okay….granted not the best idea to sneak up on her" commented Kasumi.

"Ok Kas I don't mind you sneaking round the rest of the ship but when it comes to twitchy members of the crew line Jack…..Grunt….Zaeed...Miranda, you might want to be careful" said James with a grin.

"Speaking of which….the ice queen cometh" commented Garrus as the door opened.

Shepard turned around to see Miranda enter and frowned, she'd been pretty clear she didn't want a drink and she wasn't exactly know for being a social animal.

"Shepard, the illusive man needs to speak with you" she said briskly.

"You came all the way down here to tell me that", asked James.

"Ms Chambers is having an animated conversation with Grunt and the intercom appears to have failed in here" replied Miranda sounding annoyed.

Kasumi smiled, "Yeah sorry Miranda that was me….I like my beauty sleep undisturbed by AIs….my drinking to when it comes to it."

James smiled, "Well I'm with you on this Kas but turn EDI's portal back on, I'll tell her the place is off limits unless it's a genuine emergency….or she wants a drink. Lawson lets go see what Pluto wants", he added finishing his sake.

Kasumi grinned, "Pluto….master of the Greek underworld and owner of the hell hound Cerberus…bit macabre Shep."

"Wait for it….", commented Garrus looking at his drink.

"Really Kas, didn't know that….I was calling him that because Pluto's small and unimportant" replied James.

"There it is….amazing after all this time he still thinks he's funny" said Garrus with a chuckle.

Everyone smiled except Miranda who looked even more annoyed.

"Commander he wants to speak to you now….and alone."

James raised an eyebrow, the reason for at least some of her annoyance becoming clear.

"We'll we don't always get what we wish for Lawson, you're with me. Kasumi if he ends up under the table just put a blanket over him to muffle the snores" Shepard said pointing at Garrus.

"Piss off light weight" replied Garrus with a grin as Shepard and Lawson headed for the door, a slight frown of worry creased his forehead.

* * *

Miranda was once again seething with annoyance and frustration. Firstly that the Illusive Man wanted to speak to Shepard without her input and second that Shepard seemed intent on ignoring that requirement.

"If he wants to speak to you alone Shepard there's a good reason for it" she said as they waited for the elevator, confident in that at least.

Shepard glanced at her and shook his head, "Cerberus may believe in compartmentalising information so the left hand doesn't know what the right ones doing I don't. I believe in mission based leadership and improvisation." He replied as he stepped into the elevator.

"Meaning what" asked Miranda as she followed him.

"Meaning when things start to go wrong….which in my experience they always do in combat, I need you as my XO to know exactly what I'm trying to do and why so you can work out how to get it done on the spot. You can't possibly function effectively if I don't invite you into my head."

Miranda glared but looked away. What he was saying was not how she operated…..but it did make a certain amount on sense.

Shepard led the way into the briefing room which was performing its other roll as the long range com centre. The hologram of the illusive man sat there, smoking the inevitable cigarette.

"Commander I don't like to be kept waiting….Miranda I thought I made it plain your presence was not required for this meeting.

Miranda felt her irritation rise but Shepard cut in smoothly, "My ship, my rules…you gave me an exceptionally competent XO Chuckles, not to include her is either crassly stupid or deeply paranoid."

The Illusive Man glared at them both and took a drag of his cigarette, "Your insubordinate Shepard….."

"In order to be insubordinate one first has to be a subordinate" interrupted Shepard cheerfully, "Now much as I enjoy our fun conversations did you have something for me."

The Illusive Man paused, took a drag on his cigarette and then replied, "We've found them."

Shepard looked at him for a long moment, "Them…..as in the Collectors", Miranda's heart was racing.

"Yes" replied the Illusive Man smugly.

"Right…..you do realise that most people would have started the conversation with that not massaging their egos" replied Shepard sarcastically.

The Illusive Man chose to ignore that and continued, "Horizon, one of our colonies in the terminus systems, just went dark. The Collectors are moving, if it's not under attack it soon will be."

Shepard nodded briskly, "Okay, call in the Alliance, get a cruiser in bound with a commando team on board."

The Illusive Man shook his head, "Not until you've been there, I don't want them getting in our way."

Shepard snorted, "Right and If I try to send a message from here I'm guessing our communications fit will suddenly stop working."

Miranda looked at Shepard, in spite of his insolence he understood the situation perfectly.

"Once the situation is under control I'll send the message myself" replied the Illusive Man.

"You'd damn well better" replied Shepard grimly.

"Has Mordin finished his counter measures to the seeker swarms" asked the Illusive Man.

"That's my problem, you get every shred of intelligence you have on Horizon to Miranda….I mean everything, I'll speak to you again when the mission is done."

"Shepard this is the most warning we've ever had….a chance to confront the Collectors….to gain valuable intelligence. You need to focus on the chance to learn more, do not get distracted by sentimentality" replied the Illusive Man eagerly.

Miranda winced, while she might agree with that assessment…..there were ways of phrasing it which might have an impact, the chosen one would just piss Shepard off.

Shepard looked very hard at the Illusive Man, "Don't tell me how to do my job, I'll deal with Horizon and contact you again when tis done…..if you don't hear from us then I guess you'll know you should have called for that cruiser."

Shepard hit the switch that killed the transmission. She expected him to stalk out but instead he spoke to her and spoke calmly but firmly.

"Lawson I want a workable summary of that intel ASAP, we have a battle to plan and I need to know what we're dropping into. At the very latest I need what you've got ninety minutes before we hit the target, okay."

She nodded, the urgency of his words cutting through her earlier irritation. "Okay Shepard, where will you be."

Shepard smiled, "Treading water I imagine, we'll meet in here, once we jump into the Horizon system I want us on a war footing, assume they know we're coming and will have a reception prepared, let's get it done."

As he spoke he lead the way into the CIC and he flicked the comm switch on his omni tool rapidly between channels. "Joker set course for Horizon, best possible speed. Garrus drag yourself out of there and sober up brother, I need you in the briefing room in five minutes, you to Taylor….we're going to war."


	6. Chapter 6: Contact Front

**Ch 6: Contact Front.**

**Normandy SR-2: (In transit).**

The briefing room had rapidly become a planning room, which meant the table was covered in maps and data pads and lap tops. The four of them, Shepard, Garru, Jacob and Miranda were going through the information she had assembled in detail when Kelly Chambers entered with fresh coffee.

"Kelly you are an angel" said Shepard with a grin taking the proffered cup, she beamed at the compliment, which faltered under Miranda's glare and retreated to the safety of the CIC.

Shepard stood over the projected 3D map of the colony on the table, "My biggest worry t is this, the colony has high ground to the north east, we drive anyone out from the south they'll go straight up onto it and pour fire down onto us. However to the south there's great cover for movement, if we don't take that on our way in they we'll end up fighting at point blank to clear it which is when we'll start taking casualties. We have to use the surprise of our assault to clear that ground which means….."

"Two teams" interjected Miranda.

"Spot on Lawson" replied Shepard, "Two three man teams, I'll lead the alpha team in from the south, Garrus you lead bravo team and take the high ground to the north east and work your way down, I'll advance on offset axis to minimise the chance of blue on blue."

Miranda's jaw tightened in indignation, she glared at Garrus, "Well…at least he's qualified" she snapped.

Shepard nodded, "Yes, Miranda you'll be with me, we'll take Grunt with us to, he'll be right at home up close in those buildings and I can keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't squash any civilians. Garrus someone else can carry your dead weight for a change, you and Taylor seem to make a good team on Purgatory, so Jacob your up and Mordin can go with you as well. If we're field testing his counter measures the lest he can do is be a lab rat with the rest of us"

"You don't want Jack or Zaeed down there" asked Garrus.

Shepard shook his head, "We can't have Jack on the ground until she's done at least a couple of training secessions with us, at the moment we've no idea what she's like in a fight. As for Zaeed he thinks civilian casualties are a form of light relief, no for this operation it's the six of us."

He looked around suddenly serious, "This is going to be nasty so if I've missed anything now's the time to speak up."

Miranda had plenty she wanted to say but not in front of Jacob or Vakarian.

In the end it was Jacob who spoke, "We're good commander, one thing, that missile launcher you asked Mordin to research…..we'll it's in the armoury ready for field testing."

Shepard grinned and nodded, "We'll who am I to refuse a free lunch, thanks Jacob, alright let's get ready, I want every piece of kit checked and double checked, lives will depend on it."

* * *

Miranda waited till the others had left before turning her glare on Shepard, "A moment please Shepard" she asked.

He sighed, "This is becoming a habit Lawson but go on."

Her glare never faltered, "Have I done something to make you question my competence."

Shepard sighed again sounding exasperated, "For Christ sake get over yourself, this is not about your competence" he shot back his tone annoyed.

Miranda didn't back down, "So you don't trust me then."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "Yes that's why I have you on my fire team Lawson, if it makes you feel better, I don't trust you and I want to keep an eye on you."

Miranda's glare increased in intensity, "Don't patronise me Shepard you clearly have doubts about me."

"I'm not in the habit of concealing my motives Lawson, if I had a problem you'd know about it, fast or did all the times I said 'I don't trust Cerberus' not make that clear" he snapped back.

"So it's not because you don't trust me it's because I'm Cerberus, ironic we're the ones with the reputation for being small minded" she spat.

"I don't trust Cerberus but that's not why Garrus is leading the other team, there are three reasons and only three why you're not TL.

First Garrus is better suited to this kind of operation, he's hard hitting and aggressive.

Second after his Omega crew got wiped out I want to give him back some of his self-confidence as a leader as opposed to just my wingman.

Third and most importantly he's fought reapers before you haven't."

Miranda crossed her arms and glared, "I've read the reports Shepard….." but he cut her off with a gesture.

"Then you'll have read about what we faced…..the Husks, indoctrination, I need someone I know beyond a shadow of doubt will react to those threats the right way because a split seconds hesitation and I'll find you and Jacob and Mordin impaled on dragons teeth. As to you Lawson if I had any doubts at all about your competence or reliability you would not be going down there."

He paused, his uncharacteristically angry rant over and his tone calmed but was still hard, "Are we clear."

Try as she might Miranda couldn't pick a hole in his logic, he was right, she didn't like it but he was right, "Clear Shepard" she replied. He nodded, "Good, get you kit sorted; this is going to be a hell of a fight."

* * *

**Normandy SR-2: (Horizon).**

"Christ commander are you seeing the size of that ship" asked Joker over the com.

"I'm seeing it Joker, we've got our omni tool maps thanks, keep monitoring it, it moves I want to know about it" replied Shepard.

He turned back to the team in the shuttle bay, "Right listen in our orders as outlined by the supreme high illusive overlord are for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. Try to find evidence of who the collectors are, what they're doing and where they're from."

He paused and then spoke again with fierce intensity, "My orders are simple….save as many as you can, we're going down there to rescue the people on Horizon."

He paused to let that sink in, Miranda frowned but didn't say anything.

Shepard continued, his tone grim, "It's possible the Collectors are working with the Reapers. Now Garrus has faced Reapers with me before but the rest of you haven't so listen closely when I say this. We do not leave anyone behind, we do not let them take prisoners, or our wounded, we fight back to back if we have to but they are not 'collecting' us."

He paused again, looked at each of them hard then cracked a smile and his eyes lit up with mischief. "In addition Miranda's intel says that the colonists have recently set up a distillery on the planet….I don't need to tell you this structure must be defended at all costs, its cargo is invaluable to me."

Garrus rolled his eyes, "We're being led into battle by an alcoholic comedian…..why did I sign on again."

Shepard grinned, "Ok everyone on, watch each other's backs down there and we'll all come through, good luck people."

They mounted the Kodiac in the reverse order to how they would leave it. Grunt and Jacob, Mordin and Miranda, Shepard and Garrus. The Turian pulled the hatch closed and Shepard banged his first on the bulkhead, the time honored signal to the pilot they were ready to go.

* * *

**Horizon:**

The shuttle swept in fast and low, as they neared the first drop zone Shepard threw open the hatch and leveled his rifle at the ground below.

"Almost there brother, you ready" he shouted.

"Just like old times Shepard, I'll try to save some for you" Garrus shouted back.

Shepard snorted then gripped his friends fore arm hard, "Don't get dead Garrus" he shouted.

"I'd say the same….but it hasn't slowed you down much so far" replied the Turian returning the grip with a grin.

James returned it then let go and lifted his rifle, covering the open door, "Alright….looks clear….here we go."

As he spoke the shuttle came in to the primary drop zone about a meter off the ground.

"Let's go Bravo team" yelled Garrus and led the way out of the shuttle, followed in quick succession by Mordin and Jacob. "We're clear Shepard" came the transmission over the com a moment later, "Copy, Alpha's mobile, good hunting Bravo" replied Shepard as the shuttle swept away towards their landing zone.

* * *

Miranda looked out of the shuttle as they approached, the seeker swarms we're so thick they were visible as a black cloud, she felt a flutter of fear in her stomach and squashed it down hard as they came into land. Shepard glanced at her and the massive Krogan and gave them both a nod and then turned back to the hatch as they touched down.

The hatch swung open and Shepard leapt out, instantly bringing his rifle up and scanning, "Clear, let's get to cover" he ordered pointing at the remains low wall ahead.

Miranda followed him, moving gracefully moving across the rough ground.

Grunt followed behind her…..less gracefully, "Nothing left" he commented roughly as they arrived where Shepard was kneeling and dropped into cover where he indicated.

"Alpha's on the deck, Mordin are you sure these armour upgrades will protect us from the seeker swarms" asked Shepard over the comm.

"Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms. In theory" replied the Salarian cheerfully over the com.

"In Theory?" asked Miranda incredulously.

If Mordin was put off by her tone his reply gave no indication, "Experimental technology. Only test is contact with seeker swarms. Look forward to seeing if we survive."

Shepard rose and gestured for them to advance, scanning his rifle ready as he did but he glanced at her long enough to give her a wink. "Don't worry Lawson, your too smart to die and Grunt's too stubborn to die and me I'm just far, far too pretty to die" he said lightly as they moved forwards.

"Lawson this is Garrus….did Shepard bang his head on the hatch getting out of the shuttle" asked the Turian in a concerned tone.

"Oh for Christ sake" snapped Miranda, "She's right guys let's stay frosty and find these people…..we can discuss my physical magnificence later" replied Shepard.

* * *

They came round the corner in time to see the Collectors descend, shaped like giant, humanoid insects on horrific, buzzing wings.

Shepard dropped to one knee, his rifle coming up, "Get to that wall, I'll cover you….go" he ordered, his M-15 barking.

Miranda sprinted for cover, weaving right and left to throw off the enemies aim.

Grunt didn't bother weaving, he just charged ahead as the hollow, cough of Shepard firing a high powered round sounded behind them. One of the Collectors flailed in mid-air and fell.

With a chuckle Grunt followed suit, unleashing a high velocity shot straight into one of the Collectors just as it touched down in the low ground in front of them them. However he hadn't seen the one round the corner on there right flank which unleashed a long burst of fire from its rifle driving them back. What's more the Collectors beneath them opened fire and their return fire was deflected harmlessly by the flash of kenetic barriers.

Gritting her teeth Miranda dropped to the ground, rolled past Grunt, rose and hit the Collector on their right flank with a biotic warp blast that overloaded its barriers, causing it to stumble backwards. "Now let's finish you off" she spat in satisfaction leveling her SMG and firing two short bursts into the Collector, dropping it to the floor in a spray of blood. Miranda smirked contemptuously and ducked back into cover.

The Collector was down but now she was taking heavy fire from the left and the Collectors were closing on them and she wasn't ready to use her biotics again.

Suddenly Shepard was there, his rifle barking as he dropped into cover next to her, his shield flashing as he shielded her from fire and returned it, his reactions faster than they should be, clearly using the adrenal boost in his armour.

"Nice shot Lawson, push along to the right, flank them and see if you can deal with their barriers. Grunt wait till I give you the signal, fight smart, stay aware of your surroundings, these bastards are fighting as a unit, we beat them by doing the same only better. Now go."

Miranda nodded and moved of the right, towards the dead Collector, keeping low as Shepard and Grunt opened fire, snapping off short, aimed bursts at the Collectors who returned fire, hitting both of them hard.

The Krogan shrugged off the incoming fire, Shepard's shields took most of it but one round got through and opened a long gash on his cheek which started jetting blood, even as he gunned down the Collector firing at him.

Miranda crept round the flank, keeping low and quite, getting as close as she dared and hoping the fire from her two team mates kept the Collectors from trying to move up to their left and on top of her.

Putting her back to the wall she charged her biotics, exhaled slowly to calm her heart rate.

Then she rose up, twisted round lightning hast and unleashed a furious biotic blast which struck the nearest collector, vaporised its barriers and ripped into it, throwing it backwards, torn and bleeding. Miranda leveled her pistol, "Night, night" she snapped with a smirk and pulled the trigger once, putting a single bullet through the aliens forehead. It dropped dead.

Both of the remaining collectors switched their fire to Miranda, rounds sparking off her shields as they tried to eliminate this new threat.

She vaulted back into cover with a curse, looking for a way out when Shepard's voice barked over the com, "Grunt now" he ordered.

Grunt charged forward with a bellow, "I AM KROGAN", he slammed into a collector and ran over it, crushing its body to a pulp. The remaining collector backed peddled desperately, trying to get away and exposing itself.

Miranda's body was wreathed in blue lightning as she hit the last Collector with another warp blast, shattering its barrier but failing to seriously hurt it, she was still gathering energy from her last strike. She bought up her pistol to finish the job but the Collector was already aiming its rifle at her, squeezing the trigger.

In the fraction of a second as the rife aimed at her head Miranda calculated the likely impact velocity of the rounds, the resultant kinetic energy imparted and the tolerance of her weakened shields and came to an inescapable conclusion. She was fucked.

Her horrific moment of realisation was broken sharply by the cough of a high velocity shot and the collectors head exploded.

Miranda whipped round towards the sound to see Shepard standing up, fully exposed and out of cover his rifle leveled at the dead Collector.

He lowered it, glanced at her and nodded, "Nice job Lawson, Grunt good work, I clearly need to up my game, can't have the N-7 out done by someone who's two weeks old and an Ausi, Garrus will never let me hear the end of it."

Miranda stared for a moment, breathing deeply, trying to get her heart rate down….she'd been an instant from death and Shepard had…...she shook her head and looked away.

She shouldn't be surprised, his reflexes we're incredibly fast even without the adrenal boost his armour granted him, it only made sense he'd be able to cover her without missing a beat.

Shepard lowered his rifle and moved forwards, "Come on, we've got them on the back foot let's keep them there" he ordered leading them onwards, stopping only to grab thermal clips from the fallen Collectors.

"Bravo team this is Alpha we've made contact with the enemy, multiple hostiles, small arms and they have flight capability Garrus", radioed Shepard as he led them forward up the hill.

"Same here Shepard" radioed back the Turian, "On the plus side that means they line up nicely, just like shooting range…for those of us who can hit a target that is." Shepard snorted, "Just be careful brother, this is a two way range, the targets shoot back, out."

* * *

He led them quickly along a narrow pathway between two metal walls, towards the blocky shapes of colonial residential blocks, the basic units which were the building blocks of any human colony.

"Coman…..tting all kinds…..ference up here….ucking AI say….cant maintai…..signal", Joker's voice came over the com jumpy and distorted.

"The Collenctors are disrupting communications" said Miranda, her voice calm and matter of fact.

"We're on our own now" replied Shepard grimly.

"That's why we bought you back Shepard, to thrive on the chaos" she said with a smirk.

"Uh huh…..sounds like every single one of my relationships" replied Shepard breaking into a smirk of his own.

The tension broken they carried on, Miranda reflected that maybe there was an upside to Shepard's relaxed attitude; it did at least show he was confident in his abilities.

Suddenly Shepard dropped to one knee and held up his hand above his head, signalling them to stop, they were on a ledge overlooking the first intact dwelling they'd found.

Miranda came up behind him and crouched down next to him, "What is it" she asked, "I don't like it, perfect spot for an ambush" replied Shepard.

He scanned the ground with his rifle, looking for a target. "Shepard we can't stay here, we're need to press on" warned Miranda. "I know Lawson that's what worries me…..if I wanted to stop an advance cold this is where I would do it."

He paused for a few more seconds then nodded, "Right, Grunt see the steps to the left, you move up to the top and cover us with your rifle. Lawson you're with me, we advance along that path to the half-way point. You take cover behind that second barrier on the right and watch my back while I clear the right hand building. Everyone clear?"

Miranda nodded, Grunt…grunted.

Shepard rose, his rifle at his shoulder and led the way, Miranda followed close behind as they dropped down the wall and moved swiftly towards their objectives.

* * *

They were about half way when the Collectors appeared, four of them flew in to the opposite of the path on buzzing wings.

"Incoming" shouted Miranda, "I see them, get to cover" yelled Shepard and they spirited forward together, Shepard's rifle cracking as they ran while Grunt charged up the stairs to the left to take his firing position.

As they arrived at their chosen cover at a dead sprint, Miranda saw one of the Collectors was already at the other end of the path on their left flank and hit it with a biotic warp blast which sent it flying backwards, barriers shredded, its flesh shredded by the mass effect field.

Another Collector appeared ahead of them and with a flick of its wrist deployed a Hex barrier, effectively shielding it from their merciless fire. Above them on the balcony to their left Grunt hit the third drone with a high velocity shot which sent it stumbling backwards, right into Shepard sights. A burst of armour piercing rounds finished the creature off.

Shepard and Miranda ducked back behind cover as the Collector behind the Hex shield hit them with a stream of fire. He glanced at her and jerked a thumb to their left, "I'm going to make a run for the next barricade on the left, cover me."

Miranda nodded and raised her SMG, twisting round so she was on one knee in cover, and opened fire, sending a steady stream of rounds into the HEX shield, making the collector duck back.

Then Shepard was running forwards and left, his speed charged by adrenalin as he twisted around rubble and bought his rifle up. The Collector did to, but it was far too slow and Shepard's burst of fire struck it at point blank range, virtually cutting it in two, even as he dived into cover behind the last barrier.

"There's another one out there Shepard" warned Grunt from above.

"Got it, Lawson move up on me and fry his barriers, Grunt cover her" ordered Shepard.

Miranda rose and moved forward, her SMG trained towards Shepard, when suddenly a loud, low moan cut through the air.

She saw Shepard move, saw him bring his rifle up and start to fire, saw something charge him, something lighting fast, hunched with flailing limbs.

And above it all she heard Shepard yell.

"HUSKS."


	7. Chapter 7: Bleeding Red, Blue and Green

**Note:** This is the longest chapter I've done, I'd normally cut into two but having left off on Horizon on the last chapter I didn't want to screw with you.

Thanks for all the positive feedback, as ever all thoughts appreicated.

* * *

**CH 7: Bleeding Red, Blue and Green.**

**Horizon:**

The Husks swarmed Shepard even as he gunned them down. His first burst decapitated one, his second ripped another's leg off. Then his rifle ran dry and the rest closed the gap on him.

Shepard dropped his rifle and drew the M-5 Phalanx in one fluid motion, firing rapid single shots into the oncoming Husks, downing another as they swarmed over him.

For a split second Miranda stood there, staring in shock and horror. She had always believed to her core in the innate human ability to overcome any obstacle, defeat any threat….it's what would make them inherit the stars.

To see humanity's potential corrupted like this into something so inhuman….so unnatural…..so…evil.

The Husks were evil purified and personified and it sickened her.

Above them Grunt let out a roar and opened fire, his shot gun obliterating another Husk as the rest crashed into Shepard who caught one in the jaw with the barrel of his pistol, ducked another and lashed out with his combat blade.

Then there was a sizzle and a metallic 'hiss' and the young Krogan was struck by a high powered energy beat which cut through his armour and sent him staggering backwards.

Beyond the knot of Husks surrounding Shepard Miranda saw the Collector with the heavy beam gun, in a flash she realised she needed to deal with it….now.

Only a couple of seconds had passed since the first Husk had hit Shepard, he was locked in combat with them, he couldn't help anyone at the moment.

With an angry snarl Miranda levelled her omni tool and unleashed an EMP which struck the Collector with the beam gun, overloading the weapons sensitive circuitry in a cloud of sparks.

The Collector stumbled backwards and Grunt took his opportunity, rising with a roar he struck it with a long burst of fire which cut the drone in half.

Shepard meanwhile was wining against the Husks, moving like greased lightning he darted away from their attacking, firing at point blank range with his pistol and lashing at any which got to close with his combat blade, severing fingers and flailing limbs. One Husk though turned, its attention drawn by the buzz of the EMP and charged towards Miranda long limbs reaching for her.

Miranda felt her stomach twist in revulsion and the thing coming at her, she aimed her SMG at it and emptied the thermal clip into its face.

The Husk was torn apart, it was dead but apparently it didn't know it and carried on towards her for several heart beats before dropping dead at her feet.

At the same time Shepard rammed the barrel of his pistol into the gaping mouth of the last Husk and fired a high velocity shot, blowing the thing apart in a spray of gore.

"We clear", asked Shepard rising of one knee, "Yeah" replied Grunt, "No more contacts" added Miranda.

Shepard looked around him and smiled grimly, "This summer, a sequel to the award winning Eden Prime, come's Horizon, a Husks story."

He did a quick sweep of the building and then motioned to them, "We're to exposed here, we need to cross that open ground and move up, you set."

Miranda nodded, projecting confidence she wasn't sure she felt. Grunt by contrast was bouncing on his heels ready to go.

Shepard led them forwards, rifle raised, constantly alert. In the distance they hard more firing so they knew Bravo team were in contact as well.

"Shepard the technology to make Geth Husks came from Sovereign" said Miranda as they advanced.

"Then your Illusive Man was right, Collectors must work for the reapers" commented Grunt.

Shepard didn't respond, instead he stopped and looked down at a fallen Husk.

"It sort of looks human…..this one of the colonists?" asked Grunt.

"No, on Eden Prime victims were turned into Husks by impaling them on spikes, we haven't seen any" replied Miranda, rattling off the realisation as it came to her. "The Collectors must have bought the Husks, their taking the colonists alive for something else."

"Experimentation…but why, what are those bastards up to", mused Shepard.

Miranda shrugged, "Speculation will get us nowhere, it could be anything" replied Miranda.

Shepard shrugged, "Well it doubt it's an all-expenses paid vacation…..although if it is I could use a break."

He crouched down and tilted the Husks head back with his combat knife, the 25cm blade glinting in the sun, "These aren't the same creatures I fought on Eden rime, there more advanced, evolved."

"They still die when you shoot them" huffed Grunt.

"Can't argue with that, right let move, I'm not giving these monsters any more victims, let's move."

"Yes sir" replied Miranda.

Shepard paused, "Lawson on me, Grunt take up position at the top of the hill and cover us for a second."

The Krogan grumbled but complied, Shepard turned and looked hard at her.

"Miranda the Husks are the ultimate terror troops, there not that dangerous but they scare the crap out of victims. You freeze for a second and there on you."

Miranda looked away, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself Shepard."

He nodded, "Good because I'm scared shitless."

She glanced at him and he winked, "You'll do fine, keep calm and kill the bastards….and don't call me sir, Garrus will never let me hear the end of it. Let's go Lawson."

* * *

They advanced up the hill moving through the colony. It was empty of people, the entire colony deserted, except for the collectors.

They fought a vicious running battle, a series of skirmishes.

Shepard lead, directing Miranda onto key targets to knock our barriers and disintegrate key Collectors, ordering Grunt forward when he saw a weakness and always pouring murderous fire into the Collectors, gunning them down with swift, practiced movements.

It was just after they destroyed the third enemy patrol that they came across the first of the colonists, frozen in a stasis field.

"Keeps you conscious but completely helpless" commented Miranda matter-of-factly.

"They've been like this a long time….we need to get them out" replied Shepard.

"We need to beat the Collectors first Shepard then worry about them" replied Miranda, Shepard paused but nodded grimly and they moved on.

* * *

They pressed on, coming to some open ground, just as more Collectors dropped in, "Cover" ordered Sheppard as they darted behind a low wall.

"Grunt get ready to go when Lawson hits….what the hell" he snapped as one of the Collectors rose up, pulsing with yellow light and crackling with energy.

"**I am assuming direct control."**

"Okaaaay…that can't be good" muttered Shepard.

"**Direct intervention is necessary."**

"Lawson that's your queue" barked Shepard opening fire on the glowing collector now advancing towards them.

Miranda hit it with a warp blast which tore apart the collectors Barriers but didn't stop its implacable advance and a storm of fire from the other Collectors drove her down into cover as her shield flared and winked out.

A split second later a writing golden-black bolt of biotic energy zipped over her head and struck the ground behind her, melting through the steel decking behind is a storm of pulsing energy, spitting spark and molten metal.

"**These attacks are pointless."**

Shepard grimaced, "So this bastard's a biotic, on three Grunt, one…two…."

They rose together and both put a high impact shot into the Collector which was nearly on them. It staggered backwards and Shepard and Grunt unleased a fusillade from their rifles, ripping it apart and putting it down.

The remaining Collectors put down a storm of fire but Shepard's face was set grimly, with a slick movement he dropped to one knee, unslung his missile launcher and put three rounds into the Collectors positions."

"Move….on them" he ordered and led them forwards towards the Collectors.

* * *

They hammered through the Collectors position, spreading out and using speed to capitalise on the fury of Shepard's missiles.

It was a tough fight, twice Shepard went down, rolling into cover with a wince to let his armour take over and seal his wounds.

One Miranda felt a round punch through into her shield and into her and dropped in agony only to feel the cooling analgesic of medi-gell a moment later and watch the wound heal as Shepard triggered her armours systems remotely.

Even Grunt was not immune, taking a beam gun to the head which tore open his unformed head plate. Shepard triggered the medi-gel dispensers immediately, reviving him long enough for his body to heal itself…Korgan physiology had its advantages.

In the end though the Collectors were fighting a losing battle, the team killed them all.

Miranda's biotics flashed, ripping apart barriers and armour, Shepard's fire cut down the weakened collectors before he sent Grunt charging into the gap and followed him up, fighting at lose quarters where their speed and aggression was unbeatable.

* * *

Having fought their way down to what turned out to be a generator bunker on the other side, Shepard hacked the door and got them inside where they discovered, amazingly a surviving colonist.

They listened to his babbling to the point where Miranda seriously considered giving him something to whine about. But two phrases caught Shepard's interest.

'Defence Towers' and 'Chief Williams.'

"Ash is here, on Horizon."

The mechanic nodded, "Yeah she was supposed to be here helping us set up the defence towers, high powered guardian lasers, supposed to keep enemy ships from landing close to the colony. Had to build a massive underground generator to give the damn thing enough juice only then the alliance couldn't get the targeting system online. So now we got a giant gun that can't hit anything, those stupid sons of bitches."

As the mechanic spoke Miranda watched Shepard as a grin spread across his face and he nodded several times. "Right if you have defences we'll use them to hit the Collector ship."

"You'd need to calculate the targeting system first, it's never worked right" replied the mechanic.

"We can figure it out, just tell us where to find it" ordered Miranda losing patience.

The man flinched at her steely tone, "Head for the main transmitter on the other side of the colony, it's pretty hard to miss, the targeting controls are at the base."

"You know this colony and the equipment, I could use your help", put in Shepard.

"Not a chance in hell" replied the mechanic, "You're the soldier, you go deal with it….I'm locking this door behind you."

Shepard shrugged, "Locks don't bother me….I have a Grunt."

"You have a what?" asked the mechanic.

"A GRUNT" barked the Krogan.

* * *

As they advanced Miranda paused choosing her words carefully, "Shepard If Chief Williams is here….it may be too late"

He smiled at her, "Possibly but I've you to meet the monster that could kill Ash, she's a marine to her core, cut her she bleeds green, so I'm not ready to give up on her just yet, now let's stay sharp.

They were back to fighting rapid, close range, running fire fights through the colony buildings. Collectors, Husks and some vile, plodding creatures which advanced slowly on them.

"Scions, mobile artillery, take them down fast", ordered Shepard drawing his missile launcher again and blowing one to pieces.

"**Assuming control."**

"Didn't I just kill you", snapped Shepard diving into cover as the golden-black biotic blast smashed into the wall. "Ugh" he grunted as the energy hammered through the cover into him. He rolled clear just as Miranda lit up the glowing collector with a biotic warp blast which sent it staggering backwards, "Perfect" she snapped.

"**We are Harbringer."**

"No you are dead" replied Shepard rising to one knee and putting three tight bursts into its head, before a final blast from Grunt's shot gun finished it off.

"Nice work Lawson, come on we've got to punch through them."

He dropped another Collector with a burst from his rifle, Miranda warped the next ones barriers and finished it with a bullet to the head, "Nigh, night" she snapped as grunt charged past to the exit, two collectors stepped out to stop him and were run over.

Miranda and Shepard followed, each stopping to put a round in the head of the Collectors Grunt had smashed to make sure and then they were on to the next courtyard.

* * *

They carried on like this, fighting their way through brutal short ranged fire fights, along paths, across walk ways, down ramps and through buildings.

This was interspaced with periods of surreal quiet.

How come we don't see more frozen people around" asked Grunt during one of the lulls.

"The Collectors have already loaded them onto their ship" replied Miranda, "We're running out of time."

Up ahead Shepard paused and pointed at a door, "Coms relay, this is it, get ready people, they're not going to let us take this without a fight.

* * *

The fighting was brutal, the Scions advancing on them implacably, unleashing their deadly blasts while the Husk's swarmed around them.

Grunt and Shepard we're firing on full auto to try and hold back the Husk's while Miranda hit the Scions with her biotics. She burned through their armour but her light weapons didn't have the range to deal with them and Shepard and Grunt we're busy with the Husk's….or so she thought.

Without breaking focus Shepard swung his rifle and put a high velocity shot into the leading Scion, blowing it apart before turning back and clubbing a Husk that had got in to close with his rifle butt."

"Nice….still one more Shepard" warned Miranda shooting another Husk with her pistol

"Little busy….can you get it", he asked still shooting.

"No its behind the crates I can't get a shot...if I move."

"Don't even think about it Lawson you'll be ripped to pieces...we need to get to higher ground."

"You know what they say" came a voice from nowhere as a high velocity round slammed into the Scion, blowing it to pieces.

"You want something shot at call a human….you want something shot dead, call a Turian."

* * *

"Ha, late to the party and no date Garrus…..typical" yelled Shepard kneeling to give his friend cover and the Turian vaulted down from the roof above followed closely by his team.

"Look who's talking, you couldn't get a woman in a penitentiary with a stack of pardons" replied Garrus dropping a Husk with a head shot.

"I know you may not be familiar with the concept Brother, but if you look closely you'll find Lawson is a woman of the female variety and she's on my team" shouted back Shepard moving to out flank a husk charging Jacob, earning himself an ice cold glare from Miranda.

"Oh I know, I just assumed she was here with Grunt, he's a whole lot prettier than you…smell's better to" added Garrus dropping into cover next to Shepard.

With the reinforcements the battle turned, in two minutes the square was clear.

Shepard rose and started snapping off orders, "Lawson, Mordin get those guns online, Taylor, Grunt cover the exits, Garrus do what you do best."

"Pick up women and look good doing it" asked Garrus innocently.

"Get high jackass" replied Shepard.

"Shepard EDI reports it can calibrate the guns remotely but it will take time to bring the weapons online" reported Miranda.

"How long" asked Shepard.

"Four minutes…and now enemy reinforcements are inbound."

Shepard nodded, "Then let's give them a warm welcome."

* * *

Shepard rose over the wall, adrenalin flooding his blood stream and put half a dozen rounds from his Phalanx pistol straight into the glowing collector's head, it staggered backwards and he emptied the clip into it, finishing it off.

"Are we clear" he called.

"Clear" reported Garrus, "Enemy defeated" added Mordin smugly.

"No, stay sharp…there has to be more" cut in Miranda.

"**Advance forces defeated, resistance heavy, deploying Praetorian."**

"Shepard looked at them and sighed, "You both owe me a drink."

* * *

The construct descended, a horrific combination of Husk and Collector tech, floating above the ground on a repulsor field it paused and unleased twin burning orange energy beams which cut through debris and shield with equal ease.

"Fuck…..cover" ordered Shepard as they dived to avoid the beams.

"Everyone alright" he asked as the beams finished.

"Glancing hit….hurts like hell but I'll live" reported Jacob.

"**Face your annihilation."**

"What the hells that" asked Garrus.

"I made a new friend….goes by Harbringer, he wants to vaporise me" replied Shepard.

"Why" asked Garrus.

"Well, he met me" replied Shepard.

"Ah….that makes sense" said Garru with a smile, then ducked as the construct unleashed another burning beam.

"We cant stay here we'll get cooked" snapped Shepard.

"Can you knock it out with the missile launcher" asked Miranda.

"Possibly, but I've only gone one shot left" replied Shepard then he paused and looked at the construct which was starting to circle. "Shit Garrus….I think we need to do a Feros number."

"What, no….no Feros number", shouted back Garrus from cover desperately.

"We don't have a choice, you know the drill. Lawson, Mordin I'm going to make a run on that thing, when I do hit it's barriers with everything you've got, the rest of you cover me when I move" shouted Shepard unslinging something from his armour and looking at the Pretorian, judging distance.

"Ok everyone open fire on my mark, tech attacks, high powered rounds, biotics….harsh language, every damn thing" ordered Garrus.

"Ready…now."

A storm of fire lanced out and hit the construct, ripping into it, driving it back.

Then Shepard was up and running forward, his armour dumping adrenalin into his system, sending him surging forward, the missile launcher heled low as he weaved from side to side, vaulting obstacles as he charged towards the construct.

Time seemed to slow, he felt like he could see the attack going in, plasma bolt…Mordin, EMPs….Miranda….Garrus, high velocity shot…..Grunt, he approached the construct, it reached up above him, and was struck full on my a searingly powerful warp blast as it unleashed an energy beam at him….had to be Miranda. Shepard saw the barriers fail, he saw his opening and he leapt.

Shepard twisted in the air, landed on his back and slid under the construct.

"**I know you Shepard."**

"You really don't" replied Shepard aiming the launcher straight up at the things underbelly and pulling the trigger.

The blast tore the construct in half, the squad ducked back into cover as the fire washed over them.

Miranda and Garrus were up first, "Shepard" they yelled together as the rest of the squad rose and searched for there leader.

A piece of flaming wreckage went flying, propelled by a triumphant kick and he emerged, bloody, battered and grinning from ear to ear as he walked through the wreckage and fire towards the squad.

Garrus stared and shook his head, "You show boating, egotistical son of a…."

"Guardian lasers at 100%, engaging" cut in EDPs synthetic voice and any further abuse was drowned out by the roar of artillery striking the collector ship.

* * *

"There pulling out" called Miranda over the com.

"Shit" snapped Shepard starting forward but Garrus grabbed his arm.

"Don't even think about it brother" he warned pulling Shepard back, as if to support his words a series of explosions shook the platform, forcing them to take cover.

Dazed Shepard looked up, "What the hell's happening" he snapped.

"They wanted the colonists and now they've got them, they've got no more reason to stay" replied Miranda matter-of-factly, concealing the anger and frustration that was eating her up inside…..they had failed…..she had failed.

Shepard rose to his feet and raised his rifle, but there was no point, there we're no targets to engage. "Joker can you intercept the cruiser", "Possibly Commander but if we hit them with the Thanix cannons we'll rip the hull open…any colonists inside will be spaced."

"And the only team who could board it are down here" finished Miranda realising the magnitude of her failure…because of her oversight all those people were as good as dead.

There was the sound of running feet from behind, Miranda, Garrus and Mordin turned, weapons trained but it was only the mechanic they'd encountered earlier.

"No, don't let them get away….half the colony's in there" he shouted.

"There's nothing we can do" replied Shepard grimly, "I'm sorry but we can't catch them before they hit the relay."

"They took Egan and Sam and Lileth….do something" he raved staring up at the rapidly climbing Collector ship as it left the atmosphere.

"I'm sorry" replied Shepard softly, "I didn't want it to end this way….but we'd need a damn cruiser to stop them now…..we did our best it just wasn't good enough."

"It's not your fault Shepard, nobody could have done more" cut in Miranda gently. She didn't need him falling into self-doubt now, his performance in the fight had been exceptional, if anyone had failed it was her failing to anticipate this contingency."

"Shepard" snapped the mechanic, "I've heard of you…..yeah you're some big Alliance hero."

"That's the other Commander Shepard….I'm less of a hero more of a clown" replied Shepard morosely.

"He's Commander Shepard…..captain of the Normandy…the first human spectre…..saviour of the citadel."

* * *

Instantly the entire team turned and trained their weapons on the new comer who'd gotten so close without them noticing.

She emerged from the shadows, white and red striped armour stained with dirt and filth of battle, unarmed but showing no hint of fear despite the six weapons pointing at her.

"You're in the presence of a god Delan, back from the dead."

James stared…..he lowered his rifle, his eyes fixed on the new comer…..the colonist was saying something but James ignored him completely, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Christ alive…Ash?" he asked quietly not believing his eyes.

Miranda looked from Shepard to Ashley Williams and then back again and her eyes narrowed…. Vakarian had been a complication….this was a potential bloody catastrophe.

Garrus looked at Williams and a slow smile crept over his face, "No Shepard you're not dreaming, because if you are I'm in your dreams…..and that's a thought which is going to haunt me."

* * *

Garrus's words bought Shepard back down to earth, he looked at Ash who was walking slowly towards him and shook his head then grinned, jumped down off the platform and strode to meet her. "Stand down people…..she's friendly."

She stopped stared at him for a long moment "The Feros number, haven't seen that in a long time" she said pursing her lips.

"That's because there's only one man in the galaxy stupid enough to do it" replied Shepard with a grin.

Williams paused sizing him up, then extended a hand, "I thought you we're dead Commander, we all did."

Shepard gripped her hand and shook it, "I'm afraid not, it's been to long Ash….how have you been" he replied with a warm grin.

"That's it" she spat angrily staring at him, Miranda's eyes narrowed further, while Shepard's body language was relaxed William's was anything hut. She seemed downright hostile."

Shepard shrugged and gave her his crooked grin, "Been _far_ too long" he suggested.

Williams was not impressed, "You showed up after two years and act like nothing's happened" she growled. Then her voice cracked.

"I would have followed you anywhere Commander, I thought you were gone…I."

She took a deep breath, "You were more than our Commander…you and me…., why didn't you try and contact me, why didn't you let me know you were alive."

Shepard shook his head, "You didn't exactly leave a forwarding address Ash, unofficial ops on a terminus system colony...I looked and couldn't find you."

"For two years" hissed Williams.

Miranda winced, this could get ugly, she focused her mind, ready to charge her biotics.

"Cerberus had me on an operating table in pieces for most of that, rebuilding me from the ground up" replied Shepard, his tone soft and more than a little hurt.

Williams reacted like she'd been slapped, she took a step back and stared at Shepard, her face dark with anger, "You're with Cerberus now…I can't believe the reports were right."

"Reports" asked Miranda, "So much for security" she muttered sarcastically.

"Who's she" snapped Williams gesturing at Miranda, "A friend….it's a long story Ash but she's the reason I'm walking and talking….and I'm not with Cerberus they have the resources I need to do the job."

Miranda's annoyance at the last remark almost blotted out her surprise at Shepard's description of her….they weren't friends after all…..she'd made that abundantly clear….hadn't she?

Williams glared at her then switched the glare to Shepard, "Alliance intel said Cerberus might be behind our missing colonies. We got a tip this one was next in line. I went to Anderson but he wouldn't talk but there were rumours that you weren't dead. Worse that you were working for the enemy."

Shepard's expression hardened, "Remind me to put the good Admiral at the top of my shit list."

Then he looked hard at Williams, "I don't answer to Cerberus, I want to save colonies from what you just saw, there the only ones willing to help me but I call the shots…period."

"Do you really believe that, or is that what Cerberus….what _she_ wants you to think" snapped Williams pointing at Miranda.

Miranda stayed calm and silent realising how this must now play out.

Williams glanced at Garrus, "What about you Garrus I can't believe you of all people would work for Cerberus."

"I'm not with Cerberus Williams I'm with Shepard, like I was the last time" replied Garrus tersely sounding hurt.

Williams turned back to Shepard and stared at him angrily, "I wanted to believe you we're alive….I just never expected anything like this."

Her voice rose, "You turned you back on everything we stood for….everything we fought for….everything Kaiden died for."

The chill that ran through the air was tangible, "Don't you put that on me Ash" whispered Shepard, "Don't you dare put that on me…..Kadien was my friend."

"What do you think he'd say now Shepard, he always had very clear views on betrayal."

"I am not a traitor…I died once already for the alliance, doesn't that prove my loyalty" snapped Shepard angrily.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and visibly calmed himself, "I get your pissed….you're not about to fall into my arms and maybe I deserve that, but Ash you know me. You know I'd only every do this for the right reasons."

He gestured behind them, "You saw it yourself….the Collectors are targeting human colonies. And they're working with the Reapers."

Williams's tone hardened, "I'd like to believe you Shepard but I…don't…trust…Cerberus and it worries me that you do. What did they do to you, what if there behind it, what if they're the ones working with the collectors?"

As she said this she was looking past Shepard and straight at Miranda, who decided she'd had enough of this crap.

"Typical alliance attitude. You're so focused on Cerberus that you blind to the real threat. Tell me is it comfortable in that ivory tower while we run around fighting the fires you let burn out of control?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving Williams a glare that would have chilled a polar bear.

Shepard ignored their exchange and stayed focused on Williams, his voice earnest. "Ash just for a moment look past their history and at the facts, you're a recon marine, your trained to observe and deduce so do it…..Christ do you think I fly around with a hold full of Husks just waiting to con you?"

"Maybe, maybe you feel you owe Cerberus because they bought you back, maybe it's you."

She stared intently, her brown eyes locked on his blue, then she looked away.

"It doesn't matter, I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an alliance soldier. It's in my blood."

"What about loyalty to your friends Ash, what about the blood we shed together…." asked Shepard softly.

Williams turned away, "I'm reporting what happened here back to the Citedel, I'll let them decide if they believe your story."

Shepard placed a hand on her shoulder, "I could use someone like you on my crew Ash….you don't trust me so come with me, I'll prove to you I've not turned…you can be my conscience if I start to stray….it'll be just like old times."

She shrugged off his hand and glanced back at him with a look of contempt that Miranda would have been happy with, "No it wont, I'm no fan of aliens but Cerberus has a history of being extremist. I'll never work for a group like that."

'Taking the high ground with me and spouting xenophobia…..that's so screwed up I don't know where to start', thought Miranda.

Williams paused and her tone softened slight, "So long commander….good luck", then she turned her back and started walking.

But Shepard wasn't done trying, "Ash please….. I need you to have my back on this…..I trust you utterly."

"Give me one good reason why I should trust _**you**_ Commander", she asked angrily still walking away.

"Because one day a man's walking down the street…." replied Shepard softly, a hint of pleading in his tone.

At his words Williams stopped in her tracks…..but she didn't turn around and after a moment carried on walking.

Shepard and Garrus stared after her, dumb struck, a mixture of anger and disbelief evident on their faces.

"Well I guess you just move on Williams" snapped Garrus angrily, loud enough for Williams to hear.

Shepard didn't say anything, he turned his back and looked at the team….not at them just in their general direction. Miranda looked at his face…..

Exhaustion…..raw hurt…..turmoil.

All of the energy of five minutes ago was gone…..he looked tired beyond measure and completely lost.

Mechanically he scanned the area, seemingly looking without seeing and when he spoke his voice was hollow.

"Miranda…Mordin….have you got what you need."

"Current data density acceptable….more information always useful but can make reasonable deductions based on information already gathered….."

"We've got what we need Shepard, there's no reason to stay", interrupted Miranda.

He nodded without looking at her and touched his com switch, "Joker send the shuttle, now…..I've had enough of this colony."

* * *

**Note: **If you're wondering about the 'Man's walking down the street' lines I've dropped twice now they're going to start cropping up more and more, it will be explained, but not yet.


	8. Chapter 8: With friends like these…

**CH 8: With friends like these…..**

**Kodiak assault shuttle:**

The shuttle ride back was silent. Normally after a mission Shepard and Garrus would spend the entire trip back winding each other up, playing there constant game.

This time neither of them said a word, they communicated with nods and grunts. Their attitude quickly spread to the rest of the team, killing any enthusiasm or energy.

Normally Miranda approved of silence, it let her think without distraction. Now though….it was unsettling, there was something conspicuous by its absence.

The shuttle touched down on the Normandy's flight deck and Shepard threw the hatch open, stalking off without a backwards glance.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2:**

"Welcome back commander how did it go" asked Joker over the com as they headed to the elevator.

"Not well" replied Shepard morosely, "I saw Williams."

"Ash?...but that's great", whooped the helmsman, Miranda winced.

"No its not" replied Shepard.

"Commander what…." began Joker.

"Joker just shut up" snapped Shepard angrily. He turned and looked at Miranda, "Full debrief, whole team, one hour, in the briefing room" he ordered, his words clipped and harsh.

Miranda nodded, "Understood Shepard" she replied, hiding her concern. Pissed off superiors she could deal with but there was more to this than anger. Shepard wasn't just acting angry. He wasn't acting like Shepard.

Without a word or a backward glance at the team Shepard marched off into the elevator. Miranda was about to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up to see Garrus, "Give him some space Lawson" warned the Turian softly.

Miranda was about to tell the Turian where he could stick that advice when she noticed the look in his eyes. Anger and sadness but also concern.

Miranda weighed up the alternatives, "We don't have long Mr Vakarian, I need Shepard operational."

The Turian sighed, "Give him twenty four hours", Miranda paused then nodded slightly, "Alright but in twenty four hours and one second I'll drag his arse into the CIC and bloody well make him do his job."

She turned and walked away, using her irritation to hide her very real worry…..if Shepard was coming apart at the seams then they were in big trouble.

* * *

Shepard had not improved, quite the opposite. In the debriefing he'd been short tempered, dismissive and morose. Miranda was still feeling the pang of failure for not anticipating the turn of events and his actions only added to it, making her angry and depressed at the same time.

Then when it was over Shepard had ordered them all out and confronted her, "So much for security?" he'd snapped.

"What" she'd asked confused, unprepared for the question.

"That's what you said on Horizon, 'so much for security.' Tell me Ms Lawson does the Lazarus cell have a leak."

That had gotten to her, she'd felt it as a personal challenge to her competence, "No Shepard we damn well don't, _I_ can keep control of _my_ people, none of them have leaked anything regarding you or Cerberus."

Too late she'd realised by the grim smile on his face that he'd been expecting that answer.

"I believe you Lawson, you're a very competent spy. So if Alliance intel has reports that I'm working for Cerberus and they didn't come from this cell…..then they can only have come from one man."

"That's ridiculous" snapped Miranda, although a worm of doubt crept into her mind…..what he said made a certain amount of sense, but why would the Illusive Man…..no it must be a leak she missed, another one of her failures

"Is it, you said it yourself that Cerberus cells are completely independent, that only the Illusive man knows what's happening in different cells and none of your people have leaked anything….which leaves only one candidate."

Before she could respond he'd turned away, "So now it's time for me to have a little chat with your boss."

His conversation with the Illusive Man had been even worse. He hadn't invited her to this one, indeed he'd ordered them all out of the briefing room and looked the door, but she'd still heard it all curtesy of the numerous bugs in there.

He'd angrily remonstrated with the Illusive Man, questioning him on Ashley Williams, on the security leaks, on whether Cerberus had known there would be an attack on the colony.

To her shock and slight disgust thee Illusive Man revealed he had planned it…baiting the trap with a rumour that ensured Ashley Williams would be there and the Collectors would take an interest because of her connection to Shepard.

Shepard exploded, "You risked the life of my friend, my crew, an entire colony just to lure the collectors there."

The illusive man remained calm, "A calculated risk Shepard. I thought the Collectors were looking for you or people connected to you, now I know for certain and….."

"And hundreds of children will probably die as a result", snarled Shepard.

"Someone has to make the hard decisions Shepard, I will not wait while the Reapers and Collectors gather strength, besides they would have hit another colony eventually and without a way to predict which one they would have abducted everybody."

"One death is a tragedy a million is a statistic" snarled Shepard.

"Joseph Stalin, a brutal man but one who understood what needed to be done to survive in a hostile world" replied the Illusive Man.

"Only you would view him as a role model…..you know Miranda and Jacob think that information about Cerberus is need to know so if there caught they can't betray the whole organisation. I can't help thinking there might be another reason, what do you think they'd do if they knew the truth about everything Cerberus really does."

Shepard's words hit Miranda like a lightning bolt and made her sit up straight in her chair, leaning back from the monitor. Her emotions raged…..anger…..denial…outrage…..and doubt.

That tiny point of doubt in the back of her mind that refused to go away….Shepard could not be right….he couldn't….he wasn't.

The Illusive Man stayed cool, "I am confident in the loyalty of my people Shepard, I suggest you focus instead on building your team, I'm devoting all resources to finding a way through the Omega-four relay. There is no guarantee you'll return, to have any hope of survival you and your entire squad must be fully committed to this."

Shepard glared at him darkly, Miranda could make out his expression on her monitor, the same mask of anger he'd worn when he'd killed the gunship that had wounded Garrus.

"Let me be quite clear, you have just pissed away any good will I felt towards Cerberus, my commitment is to my team and to preventing genocide. But my friends are off limits, Ashley Williams is now living a charmed life, anything happens to her, anything at all and all bets are off and I come gunning for you."

He meant every word of it Miranda could see that, she needed to take steps in case something happened….even if she could understand his rage.

The Illusive man paused, took a drag of his cigarette then gestured at Shepard, "I've forwarded three more dossiers to you Shepard, keep building your squad while I find a way through the relay….and Shepard be careful, he Collectors will be hunting for you."

"Collectors I can deal with, it's the enemy I can't see that worries me", replied Shepard and he killed the transmission and stalked out.

Miranda disconnected the feed, put her head in her hands and through sheer force of will didn't vocalise the internal scream of frustration.

Why the bloody hell had she been left in the dark.

If she'd known she could have managed the plan, could have prevented the loss of the colonists and maintained Shepard's good will.

Hell with a bit of tweaking she would have been able to ensure Cerberus was responsible for saving Ashley William's life and Shepard would feel forever in their debt.

Instead….weeks or work….wasted.

Now she had to deal with a pissed off CO who's motivations were as problematic as ever and a boss who apparently didn't think she needed to know about half the operation she was running.

The big question was what would Shepard do next.

* * *

The answer wasn't long in coming, she opened up her connection to his email account to find a message from Ashley Williams, as if she hadn't caused enough complications.

_**Subject: Hey there.**_

_**Shepard-**_

_**I'm sorry for what I said back on Horizon. When I lost you two years ago, it tore me up. I prayed for you every day. I read a lot of Tennyson, thinking about you, just like I did when my dad passed. And then you came back, and it was like my prayers were answered. But I'm not who I was then, and neither are you.**_

_**I don't know what's true anymore. Part of me can't believe it's really you. I keep going back to that night before Ilos, our night... I haven't let myself think about those memories in over a year.  
**_

_**I wouldn't have expected you to work for Cerberus, but I know why they sent you to Horizon. I saw how many people were lost there, and if anyone can stop the Collectors, you can. I can't go where you're going, but I can wish you luck.  
**_

_**Just stay alive out there... Skipper. I don't know what the future holds, but I can't lose you a second time.  
**_

_**-Ash  
**_

_**Death closes all: but something ere the end  
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,  
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.**_

_**...**_

Shepard's response was just as heartfelt but not nearly as poetic.

...

_**Ashley,**_

_**Don't kid yourself we always have a choice and you made yours. Blame the brass, the alliance, blame me if it makes you feel better. Bottom line I need you and you aren't here for me. I don't know if I can succeed at this, I'm making this shit up as I go along but I do know you just lengthened my odds.**_

_**I didn't expect a poetic reunion, I'd hoped you moved on, you don't deserve to be miserable and grieve for me and I hope you found someone who made you happy, I really do.**_

_**But I don't deserve to be left out in the cold to fend for myself.**_

_**I never asked you to take me back, just to stand by me when the time came because we both know that when you get past the media circus and the bullshit I'm just one man and I can't do this alone…..I'm nothing without my friends.**_

_**Stay safe Ashley but don't try to contact me….there's nothing left to say.**_

_**James Shepard.**_

...

Miranda felt one of the migraines that were rapidly becoming a feature of her association with Shepard. She hoped this might be an end to it but in her heart she knew otherwise, the only question was what form would the break down take.

* * *

She got her answer late that evening.

She'd decided to trust Vakarian's judgement and give Shepard some space but had kept a close eye on him through the surveillance network.

He'd spent most of the day in the cargo hold doing a heavy work out, pushing his body hard including literally beating the stuffing out of the heavy bag Jacob had hung….that made Miranda's eyebrows rise.

Then he'd showered and spent time in his cabin, surfing the extranet, seemingly looking up old marine colleagues, but not attempting to make contact with them.

Miranda had already eaten in her office and was working through some reports while listening to Mozart when suddenly her com bleeped urgently.

"Uhhh Miranda, Garrus its Kasumi…..can one of you come to my quarters….sort of nowish…..there's a problem with Shep."

* * *

Miranda was out of her chair in a flash striding purposefully through her office door and towards the Port Observation lounge.

Behind her there was a thumping sound and Garrus Vakarian appeared from the main battery at a run, "I've got this Lawson, it's not your concern….",he snapped.

"Everything that happens on this ship and to Commander Shepard is my concern Vakarin", she interrupted.

* * *

They opened the door together and looked inside.

Kassumi was standing there by the bar, looking very worried, a broken bottle lay on the floor, blue alcohol pooling on the deck.

Shepard was slumped in a chair by the bar, a red bottle in his hand and a row of shot glasses in front of him.

Kasumi looked at them, relieved, "He's not good, he dropped one bottle and wont give me the other one."

Miranda strode forward a cold expression on her face…..she'd bought Shepard back to be a hero not a drunken loser.

Suddenly she felt a hand descend on her shoulder, the grip hard, "Lawson let me" barked Garrus.

Very slowly she turned to look the Turian in the eyes, very calmly and coldly with an undercurrent of danger in her voice she said, "Mr Vakarian….take your hand off my shoulder….now."

Garrus let go, clearly conscious that he was on thin ice and spoke softly, "He's my friend and he's hurting, I'm going to help him…..please Miranda let me take care of him."

It was the please that gave here pause, made her decide to risk it. With a sigh and sure she would regret it Miranda gestured, "You have ten minutes then I will sober him up with my biotics."

Garrus nodded and walked over to Shepard.

* * *

Shepard was leaning on the bar, staring at a whiskey tumbler brimming with red liquid and six empty shot glases. He didn't look up at Garrus when he stepped in front of him.

I think I've got it brother" he said his voice thick with alcohol.

"Got what" asked Garrus.

"The….ana…all…alanogy…the thing like the thing" replied Shepard.

He tipped the whiskey tumbler and filled each of the glasses in turn, showing surprising dexterity considering he could barely talk.

"See this is me….this glass" Shepard said holding up the tumbler. "It looks impressive but its empty….all show" he banged the tumbler down hard. "What's important is what went in it…..these six…..let me introduce you."

He held up the first shot glass, "Urdnot Wrex" he said and knocked back the shot, putting the glass back on the bar and taking the next one.

"Liara T'Soni", back went the second one, the empty shot glass went to the bar next to the first.

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya" the third one went back and the glass joined the line on the bar.

He stopped and picked up the forth one and held it for a long moment, "Kaidan Alenko" he said eventually, his voice thick with sorrow, and deliberately held out the glass and dropped it to the floor where it shattered.

"For Christ sake Shep I live here" snapped Kasumi.

Garrus held up a hand, "Please Kasumi I know he's being a dick but just give me a second."

Shepard didn't seem to have heard….he picked up the second to last shot and held it up for a long time and spoke slowly, "Ashely…Williams" he said and knocked back the shot putting the glass on the bar with the others.

He picked up the last shot and held it in front of Garrus's face, "This…this is you….Garrus Vakarian…..friend…..brother…..once you're gone, I'm gone, there's nothing left."

Garrus took the shot off of him and put it down on the bar, "I'm not going anywhere."

Shepard didn't seem to have heard him, he stared at the empty whiskey tumbler.

"See that's all I am…without my friends there's not much left of me…..just an empty glass, no substance…..no content…no use to anyone."

Miranda watched quietly, trying to work out what to do. It seemed that Shepard could face down the terrors of deep space and brush it off with a laugh but when it came to his friends….his Achilles heel. Get close to people and thy will screw you, even if it was by accident like her and Jacob. The man who had been too good for her, too pure and who when she rejected she'd felt like an utter bitch. No, better off alone wasn't just a moto it was words to live by.

Garrus walked around in front of Shepard, took the glass from him and set it down. "Have you quite finished wallowing in self-pity you asshole" he snarled.

Shepard tried to respond but Garrus held up a talon, "No you listen carefully Shepard. Do you remember what we were like at the start of the hunt for Saren huh? A rouge C-Sec officer, a biotic with self-confidence issues, a Quarian with a compulsive need to prove herself, a Krogan orphaned from everything but his hate, an Asari scientist with no clue about the real world and a marine with a dreadnought size chip on her shoulder.

You took us, you moulded us, you helped us when we needed it, you protected us from our enemies and you made us become friends, hell you turned a Turian and a Korgan into drinking buddies. Six outcasts from five species and you bought us all together, turned us into a team that could take down the Geth, Saren, even Sovereign."

Garrus paused and looked at his friend, "Yes Williams walked away from you, she was wrong to do it. Yes Kadien died, not his fault but it leaves you weakened, yes you'll need help. But you've got me and you'll build a new team."

"How Garrus….how do I do that" asked Shepard.

"I've no idea, that's your job" replied Garrus reaching for a fresh stack of shot glasses and placing them on the table upside down and empty in front of Shepard, naming each one.

"So…..the psychopath…..the hired killer…..the thief…the berserker…the boy scout…the ice queen…..the vigilante."

He picked up the empty whiskey tumbler and placed it in front of Shepard with a sharp tap, "The boss" he said firmly, "Your job it to fill those glasses, to add more, to bring us together as one, to make us more than the sum of our parts."

Shepard looked at Garrus then looked away, "What makes you so sure I can pull this off" he asked softly.

"Because I've seen you in action Shepard….you don't have to try to do something you just…..do it. I believe in you, so don't you dare shatter the last illusion I have of something real in this screwed up galaxy."

Shepard sighed, hung his head….then nodded.

"Alright brother…..I'll do it….for you and for the others, god help me."

He opened his eye and blinked, "First though….I think I might have had a little too much….unless there really are two of you."

Garrus snorted, "The universe couldn't manage two such specimens of physical perfection. Now you're going to bed to sleep this off and when you wake up you're going to apologies humbly to everyone but especially Kasumi for being a colossal prick."

Shepard nodded, "Yeah…..sure….now though sleep" and he collapsed on the bar.

Garrus walked round, got one of Shepard's arms over his shoulder and half carried, half dragged him towards the door, "I'll put him to bed then come back and clear up Kasumi, Lawson…thank you."

Miranda was still scowling but nodded automatically at that thank you, surprised the turian had bothered. Then Shepard as led out for the room and towards the elevator, mumbling quietly.

* * *

Miranda glanced behind her and saw the broken bottle, it offended her sense of order and she stooped to pick up the broken shards.

"Thanks, glad you guys came when you did, poor guy was in a real mess" said Kasumi kneeling down next to Miranda and helping her pick up the broken glass.

Miranda shrugged then frowned, "Careful you'll cut your fingers."

"So will you" replied Kasumi.

Miranda smirked and gestured to her gloved fingers, "This suit's spun with Kevlar weaves reinforced with titanium micro filaments."

Kasumi grinned and held up her gloves, "So are these" she replied, "Girls got to have the right accessories right."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem to have much trouble in that regard" replied gesturing round the room at the antiques.

Kasumi didn't take offense, in fact she grinned wider, "Oh these they're just status symbols, trinkets, it's not about the pay-out it's about the hunt. Don't worry, I only take things from people who deserve it, your antique clocks safe Miri.

Miranda looked up in astonishment at the grinning thief…..no one gave her a nick name….well not to her face. She was about to admonish her when Garrus came in and helped to finish cleaning up and she decided to drop it, not point in giving it wings.

* * *

One they we're finished cleaning up they walked out together and outside in the corridor Garrus stopped and turned to face her, "Thank you Lawson….he needed to make that jump, get his confidence back.

Miranda shrugged, "I need him operational Mr Vakarian, I don't care how it's done but he can't be allowed to fall apart again like that."

Garrus looked at her and frowned, "Shepard's mortal Lawson, he has weak spots, things don't often get to him but when they do they hit him hard, that's what I'm here for."

Miranda sighed and looked at him, "Vakarian you're an excellent sniper, a strong tactician and a valuable asset so I hope you won't take offense when I say I wish we'd never found you."

"Now why would I take offense at that" replied Garrus sarcastically.

Miranda shook her head, "You're not the issue, Shepard is. Your right he does have weaknesses, his friends. If this little spat with Chief Williams has torn him up what will happen if you get killed, he'll go to pieces and we can't afford that."

Garrus looked at her for a moment then seemed to come to a decision, "Tell me Lawson, how do you judge yourself….by your achievements, by your failures, by the opinions of your Illusive Man?"

Miranda glared at him, "I fail to see the relevance."

Garrus sighed, "The point is James Shepard rarely gives a shit what others think, I once saw him toss a medal he felt he hadn't earned into the sea, he basis his decisions on the consequences, on what matters, on what he knows is right. But there is one thing that's even more important to him….his friends. He thinks the measure of a man is what he will do for his friends, what they think of him.

To Shepard the fight on the Citadel wasn't victory because we beat Saren and Sovereign, it was a victory because we all came back. To him Virmire will only ever be a total failure because although the soldier in him knows it had to happen that way, the man will never forgive himself for losing Kadien."

Miranda nodded, "My point exactly….we need him focused on the big picture, he can't be compromised by concern for a friend."

"My point is he will focus on the big picture….not because of the strategic implications but because he won't disappoint his friends. He'll fight and he'll win for us."

Miranda wasn't convinced, "What if he stumbles again Vakarian."

Garrus shrugged, "He won't, Williams may have hurt him but she's not a bitch, she won't twist the knife just for kicks."

"But what if he does" asked Miranda pointedly.

Garrus smiled, "Then he'll have his friends to draw strength from…..that's why I'm staying Lawson, not because I can shoot, because Shepard will never fail if I'm here to give him motivation. He'd fight any enemy in the galaxy to protect the innocent, but he'd descend into hell itself to help a friend."

"Fine but then we're back to my original point, any of us could be killed on this mission, what happens if it's you."

Garrus smiled grimly, "Then you've as good as one this war, the last time someone killed a friend of James Shepard's he destroyed an army of Geth, a rogue Specter and a damn reaper."

He smiled at Miranda's cynical expression, "What did you think he was doing all that for the good of the galaxy? He went after Saren as hard as he did to get revenge for Kadien, hell hath no fury like James Shepard out for vengeance."

* * *

The next morning Miranda's surveillance bugs gave her plenty of warning when Shepard was up, she looked at the feed from his quarters…he did not look well.

Slowly, painfully, he showered, dressed and headed down to the mess, curious she logged off and stepped out of the office as Shepard emerged from the elevator.

He tiptoed across to the counter, and very carefully made himself coffee so strong she thought it might eat through the mug.

"Morning Commander" barked Gardener cheerfully.

Shepard physically flinched in pain, "…..Morning Gardener" he managed after a little while and unusually didn't stop to talk but retreated to a table, sat down, put his head in his hands and closed his eyes.

"Morning Shepard, how's the head this morning…..sore" asked Garrus Vakarian loudly as he emerged from the forward battery with a grin.

Shepard winced again, "I…..you….oh shut up" he managed weakly before covering his head in his hands.

Garrus grinned, "You know what they say Shepard, if you try and drink like a Krogan be prepared to feel like one kicked you in the head."

"Lawson….could you please shoot me" asked Shepard miserably.

"Oh no, you don't get off that easily" replied Garrus.

Shepard sighed, "Your right."

He stood up and raised his voice, "Listen in please."

The mess went quite, everyone turned to face the CO.

Shepard sighed, "I want to apologise for treating you all like crap over the last day. I'm sure the scuttlebutt has done its job and you all know I had a reunion with an old friend on Horizon….it did not go well. However that's no excuse for me behaving like a jackass towards my crew, far too often people get defensive and don't admit when they were screwed up. I screwed up and I'm sorry."

He paused to let that sink in and glanced around, "In particular….Kas where are you."

"Here Shepard" replied the thief as she de-cloaked a few placed down.

Shepard smiled, "Kasumi I sincerely and humbly apologies for acting like a jerk…."

"I believe the specific words were 'a colossal prick'" cut in Garrus.

Shepard sighed and carried on, "For acting like a 'colossal prick', getting drunk and messing up your quarters. Thank you for looking after me and not kicking my drunken ass out of the nearest airlock which I'm sure I richly deserved."

Kassumi looked at him and nodded, "Apology accepted Shep…..but next time I get drunk I'm coming up to your quarters and puking in your fish tank."

"Well someone should probably feed the poor bastards at some point" replied Shepard grinning.

There were a few chuckles and Shepard smiled, "Thank you everyone…..it won't happen again."

As talking in the mess, much more cheerfully he said something to Garrus and they gripped each other's fore arms hard. Then Shepard turned and walked over to Miranda.

"Can I have a word Ms Lawson", she nodded and gestured and they went into her office.

* * *

"I'm sorry" as the first thing he said when they entered.

Miranda snorted, "About last night? Shepard I worked undercover in a bar in Omega….you were a disgrace but hardly noteworthy by comparison."

Shepard smiled, "Well that's good to know, but I meant about being a bastard to you all day yesterday and especially about leaving you out of the meeting with the Illusive Man, it was wrong and worse hypocritical of me."

Miranda paused, she had not been expecting that, "Your in charge Shepard, command decisions are your prerogative."

Shepard snorted, then winced and held his head and sat down. "Oh god….anyway that's fine on paper but I need you to carry on doing what you're doing Lawson. Some of the time…..most of the time, I may decide to ignore you advice but that doesn't mean I don't value it. I respect you opinions and abilities as I hope you respect mine."

"I have every respect for your abilities, Shepard. It's your motivations that concern me" she replied coolly. "I'm concerned your devotion to your people may blind you to the big picture."

Shepard shrugged, "It's possible…..but it was my devotion to my team that got me through the fight with Saren….it's what I'm prepared to die for if necessary."

Miranda looked away out of the window, "That won't do anybody any good."

Shepard grinned, "Well then I'll worry about the team….you worry about me and between us we'll all come back."

Miranda snorted, "I wish it was that simple."

"Sometimes it is" replied Shepard softly standing to leave, "I'll see you later and thanks for giving me some space to get my head straight…I won't let you down Miranda."


	9. Chapter 9: Enter the Battle Master

**Ch 9: Enter the Battle Master.**

**Normandy SR-2:**

The next couple of weeks were spent getting them up to fighting condition, surveying for minerals, researching, upgrading and training. After their failure on Horizon Shepard agreed with Miranda that they needed to tighten up the ship and the team, though they often disagreed on the details their goal was the same.

The only mission of note was one Miranda was responsible for…she'd picked up some traffic regarding the Hugo Gernsback and remembered Jacob telling her about it during their short, ill-fated attempt at a relationship.

She couldn't understand why this information hadn't been sent to him….after all Cerberus had his whole history on file, she'd vetted him herself with her usual thoroughness. For some reason though it had been tagged classified. She couldn't hand it over to him…..that would raise red flags.

But she could lay a trail...a subtle one, one that unless you were looking for it you'd never find.

* * *

The mission to Aeia had been tough, not least for Miranda because Shepard had bought Kasumi with them on the grounds she needed some time working with them.

Privately when she pressed him Shepard had admitted to Miranda that he had a gut feeling that there was something very wrong on the planet and if there was he wanted people who would look after Jacob. Miranda knew that the young thief had a crush on him….it was obvious to those who knew how to look and would treat Jacob's feelings with care, for this she was very grateful.

_**However**_the bloody nickname had not been dropped, Kasumi insisted on calling her 'Miri' whenever she could get away with it.

Despite glares, warnings and direct threats Kasumi remained as cheerful and relaxed as ever and continued to call her Miri and gently tease her, although never around the others thankfully. Still that was only so much help when the bloody woman could walk unseen through the ship. Miranda wasn't sure why she let Kasumi get away with it, but as the thief was actually one of the most reliable members of the team and she had bigger problems.

So she ground her teeth throughout the mission….until Kasumi made a joke about that and gave her evil glares. Still if that had been the worst thing that had happened on Aeia she would have been grateful.

The bloody firefight through the jungle ended with Jacob nearly killing his father, only to be stopped at the last second by Shepard who instead gave the man the choice between answering to an alliance court or to his previous subjects…..he sensibly chose the court.

Afterwards Miranda was in her office when she noticed that Jacob was using the briefing rooms communication set up to talk to the Illusive Man. Sighing she logged off and went to face the music.

* * *

When she got there she found Shepard had beaten her to it and was backing Jacob up in his argument. This time it seemed that he was restricting his arguments to his usual mix of sharp retorts and crass sarcasm rather than explosive anger.

"Jacob if I had leaked the information about the Gernsback I would be smiling at your resolution of the situation, I am not smiling."

Shepard snorted, "Uh-huh, tell me does this sound familiar…'I have no knowledge of Chief Williams location'….how about, 'We don't know who are behind the colony attacks', cut the crap nothing that happens on this ship get past you."

"I had no more reason to believe Jacob's father was alive than he did and a lot less reason to care" replied the Illusive Man.

Out of the holographic matrix Miranda stiffened…no if she had access to the data about the Hugo Gernsback then so did the Illusive Man….he would have known.

"You can't believe I had any real reason to keep this from you" growled the shadowy figure drawing on his cigarette.

"I don't even believe that's your real _hair_" shot back Shepard angrily.

"If you didn't forward it who did" asked Jacob.

Miranda decided that she wasn't going to get a better queue than that, "I did" she said stepping forward.

* * *

Later that day Shepard came to see her.

"Shepard….I take it you want to discuss my …..actions regarding the Hugo Gernsback", she said looking up from the computer.

"It did cross my mind" replied Shepard with a smile as he sat down.

Miranda looked at him fiercely, "I don't regret my decision, I keep my promises, Jacob deserved to know and if that causes problems for you then you'll just have to deal with it…..I'm only sorry things turned out as they are, Jacob will be crushed."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Actually I was going to ask…..why the hell didn't you just tell him or me for that matter."

Miranda frowned and looked at him, "I…..I wasn't supposed to release the data, it was flagged as classified, I didn't want anyone else implicated. Besides I wasn't sure how you would react….I couldn't take the chance you'd prevent Jacob from going down there if you knew where the data came from."

Shepard shook his head and sighed, "Lawson there are lots of things you've done which have pissed me off….control chip to the head springs to mind….and make me question whether I'm right to trust you as much as I do….control chip to the head springs to mind."

She opened her mouth to interrupt but he held up a finger to forestall her, "But, going out of your way to help a friend. Screwing the rules to help someone you care about. Pissing of your boss to…well in fact just pissing off your boss, are all things I thoroughly approve of. I just wish you'd told me so we could have gone down there better prepared and told Jacob….I'm sure he would have appreciated it."

Miranda looked away, "Maybe….or maybe this whole experience will be intensely traumatic to him….to see someone he respected fall so far…..it must be hard."

Shepard gave her a funny look, "Yes it must" he said after a long pause, "But at least he knows the truth, can start to find closure."

Miranda got up and walked towards the window, "The truth isn't always what's required."

Shepard joined her, leaning against the bulkhead and looking out at the stars, "I never knew my father" he volunteered. "My mother never talked about him and she died before I was old enough to ask the right questions…it's easy for me to say but I think I'd want to know even if he was a monster."

Miranda kept staring out at the stars, "I wish I'd never known my father…..he gave me nothing but pain."

"But at least you know where you came from…..from what you've told me your father sounds like an utter bastard but at least you can avoid making the same mistakes, me I know mine probably had black hair and that's it."

Miranda glanced at him, "Black hair?" she asked, "My mother was blonde…I figure mine comes from somewhere" he replied.

Miranda nodded and neither of them spoke for a moment, "You should talk to Jacob…make sure he's fit for duty" she said eventually.

Shepard nodded, "I have….you should talk to him to, make sure your friends alright."

Miranda shrugged, "I don't have time for friendships Shepard and I don't do agony aunt advice."

Shepard sighed, "Tell me Lawson, off the top of your head who on this ship do you think is best qualified to talk to Jacob about how to deal with having an utter bastard for a father."

She looked at him and he gave her a smile, "Just a thought, anyway I'll leave you to it."

He turned to leave and then glanced back, "By the way I meant to ask you something."

"What" she asked.

"Is that your boss's real hair?" he asked his eyes lighting up with mischief.

She gave him a glare but it didn't change his expression and smirking he left her to her thoughts.

* * *

The relative peace of the post Horizon couldn't last for long….and one morning it was shattered.

Miranda, Garrus, Mordin and Jacob were in the briefing room going over a threat assessment of the collectors.

Shepard was running late, which was far from unusual given his habit of wandering the ship talking to everyone. When he entered however he did not look happy at all.

"We've got a problem and its super-sized" he said entering.

"What are you….oh crap" muttered Garrus, used to his friends turn of phrase, "Grunt?" he asked.

"Grunt" confirmed Shepard, "He's pacing up and down the cargo bay wanting to rip something apart….and he just head butted a window and broke it."

"That's not so bad" commented Garrus.

"Those windows are ten centimetres of armoured glass Mr Vakarian" cut in Miranda.

"Oh….right….crap" replied Garrus.

Shepard sat down at the table and glanced around, "He says it's something inside him, driving him wild and not in a good way….we need to get a handle on this now."

"If he is a threat Shepard we need to neutralise him" Miranda said calmly, no hint of emotion in her voice.

Shepard glanced up, "We're not talking about a rapid animal here" he said coldly.

"Not yet" replied Miranda in the same tone.

"Perhaps I can assist….have experience in Krogan physiology….metabolism…..brain chemistry….central nervous system" offered Mordin.

"I suggested that his response was…..not positive, he doesn't trust doctors or Salarians", replied Shepard.

"Why" asked Jacob confused.

"Jacob the Salarians developed the genophage which resulted in the Krogan population being decimated" replied Miranda.

"That was a long time ago" Jacob said, still confused.

"Not to the Krogan, they can live as long as Asari…some of them remember it" replied Shepard.

"But surely they must have gotten over it by now, what's the point in hanging onto that hatred" countered Jacob.

"Know any humans who blindly hate Turians because of the first contact war?" asked Shepard, "That was a generation ago, imagine if they'd rained a bio-weapon down on earth."

Jacob glanced at Garrus and looked away embarrassed, "I guess….I never thought."

"Jacob relax I don't take it personally" cut in Garrus with a grin, "There are angles and assholes in every species, C-Sec showed me that….so asshole, sorry I mean Shepard, what we're you about to say."

Shepard gave his friend the finger grinning, "We need to get Grunt to people who will know what's wrong with him, who can help him and who he'll listen to…or to put it bluntly other Krogan."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Krogan are not known for being altruistic Shepard and even if they were the take a very dim view of outsiders meddling in there affairs. They tend to react….well like Krogan."

Shepard smiled, "Generally you might be right….but I think I have a way in."

"What" asked Garrus.

Shepard looked at him and gave him a Cheshire cat grin.

Garrus's eyes flared wide, "No….oh no…..please no" he moaned.

"What" asked Jacob.

"A mutual friend of mine and Garrus's" replied Shepard smiling.

"A complete lunatic" replied Garrus sarcastically.

"He's…..unconventional I'll admit" replied Shepard.

"He's fucking crazy" replied Garrus.

"Come on, you know you love him really" teased Shepard.

Garrus sighed, "Yeah, yeah I know, but you don't have to rub it in my face."

"Of course I don't, I chose to" replied Shepard grinning.

Garrus sighed, "Ok but how we going to find him, the Normandy crew drifted apart and you said at the start the Illusive Man couldn't find us."

A shadow flashed across Shepard's eyes at that but was gone, "True but we have something now I didn't have then."

"What" asked Garrus.

"Not what….who" replied Shepard glancing at Miranda, "Up for a challenge Lawson…I'm willing to bet the best spy I've ever met can do this?"

Miranda closed her eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I don't suppose there's any point in trying to dissuade you Shepard."

He shrugged, "Well if you think it's beyond you…."

Her eyes snapped open.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2: (In high orbit over Tuchanka).**

James looked down at his terminal and then over and Miranda Lawson who was looking very smug. "I believe _Commander_ Shepard that I've just found the contact you've been unable to locate" she said still smirking.

It was amazing thought James with a rueful grim, how the word 'Commander' sounded a lot like 'You utter fuck wit' when she said it like that.

"Very impressive Ms Lawson….boys you both owe me a drink."

There were groans from Garrus and Jacob from behind.

Miranda's expression was incredulous, "You bet on me succeeding" she asked turning to look at Shepard.

"Of course not, who'd take that bet….we bet on how long it would take for you to succeed and at thirty one hours from leaving the briefing room to arriving at our target you came in just under thirty three hours which was mine and coincidentally the lowest one."

Miranda gave him a frosty glare, "We'll I'm glad while I was working on this someone was covering the important stuff."

Shepard winked, "I had total faith in your abilities Lawson, it seemed foolish not to get a free drink out of it."

She continued to glare but James just grinned wider, "Come on you can take it out of my hide on the surface, Jacob you're in charge, Garrus make sure Grunt, Zaeed and Jack are good to go."

Miranda's glare intensified as they walked to the elevator, "You're set on taking her with us?" she asked.

Shepard sighed, "I know you're not keen….alright I know you think it's a terrible idea but we've worked up together, she needs to get some more ground time and sooner or later you'll have to go on an operation together, might as well be one where we're not planning on getting into trouble."

Miranda's glare didn't drop as they stepped inside, "This could be a very delicate situation, one wrong word could provoke violence."

Shepard shook his head, "The Krogan respect strength and Jack has that in shed loads. I'll keep an eye on her, please don't antagonise her."

The temperature in the elevator dropped so low Shepard was pretty sure he'd see his breath condensing, "I am not the problem" said Miranda her tone positively acidic.

"You know what I mean" replied Shepard keeping his tone level. "She'll bait you looking for a rise, don't give in to it, you're the professional."

"If she becomes a threat…." Miranda began.

"Then I will deal with her, but until such time as she is posing an imminent physical danger leave her be" ordered Shepard.

* * *

They emerged onto the flight deck to see Garrus waiting.

"You ready for this Brother" asked Shepard with a grin.

"Not even a little bit…..do we really have to do this Shepard….can't we find another Krogan" asked Garrus pleadingly.

"You're just worried he's going to challenge some more preconceptions" replied Shepard as they climbed into the shuttle.

"I'm worried he's going to head-butt me" replied Garrus.

Shepard paused…..then nodded, "Yeah probably" he replied with a grin as Miranda sat down next to him, as far as possible from Jack. They traded a glare about as friendly as a fair of rattle snakes working out if they could get in the first bite. James sighed, leaned his head back against the fuselage and nodded to Zaeed who banged on the bulkhead, signalling the pilot to take off.

* * *

**Tuchanka**

The ride down was uneventful, meaning they didn't get shot down, the shuttle was filled with the regular back and forth between Separd and Garrus, broken occasionally by profane abuse and acidic put downs between Jack and Miranda.

The touched down on a heavy grade steel landing pad and the team dismounted to be greeted by a lot over surly looking Krogan, although in Shepard experience most Krogan looked surly.

Two heavily armed Krogan moved swiftly towards them, coming to a stop in front of them, "You…you are Shepard and Vakarian of the Normandy."

James couldn't pass up the opportunity, "No I am Shepard of the sheep, he's my sheep dog."

"Woof" added Garrus helpfully.

Miranda sighed although it sounded more like resignation than anger and Grunt bounced on his feet, clearly impatient to get going.

The Krogan looked confused…..not a good idea as Krogan tended to react to confusion with violence. His eyes narrowed and he was clealy thinking of reaching for his weapon. Eventually though he spoke, "The clan leader wants to speak with you."

He gave Grunt a glare, "Keep your rutting pet on a short leash. Get him put through the rite soon or get him put down."

Grunt took a step forward, Shepard grabbed his arm, "Grunt pick you battles" he warned softly, "We lose this clans good will we may not find another one who'll work with us."

Grunt glared at Shepard but eventually nodded with extreme reluctance, Shepard returned the nod the turned back to the guards. "What rite….do you know what's wrong with him."

"There's nothing wrong with him, just go speak with the clan leader" replied the Krogan dismissively.

Deciding there was no point flogging a dead horse, Shepard led the team towards the stairs at the edge of the landing pad. He stopped to look out at the scene of industrial desolation. "Fuck me, I've seen war zones but this is something else" he muttered.

"Ah, Tuchanka", chipped in Miranda taking a deep lungful of air and pretending to savour it. "Crude, dangerous, and probably radioactive."

"You've been here before?" asked Shepard surprised.

"I might have been" replied Miranda coly, "And once was more than enough. Let's get in, do what we need to do, and get out…fast."

"Well tell you what, next time you get sick we'll go to Paris" replied James with a grin.

"I'm with Lawson with this brother….why can't we ever go anywhere nice" asked Garrus.

"Give the place a chance….it might grow on you" replied James grinning.

"One day we'll get off this rock and show those Turians who's boss."

"Damn right, tear their scales off and let the pyjaks feast on them while their still alive."

Garrus glanced down to the end of the corridor where two Krogan were eagerly working themselves up into and anti Turian frenzy. "It's not growing on me Shepard" he said with a glare.

As they walked through into the main chamber Jack piped up, "Counted thirteen guards since we came in. They're afraid someone's gonna invade this planet?"

"These aren't guards. They're warriors", replied Grunt.

"I know guards when I see them", snapped back Jack.

"This is the only planet they've got Jack" replied James softly, "The Krogan lose this ground they lose everything, every battle they fight is a last stand."

That kind of killed the chit chat as they advanced towards the chair in the center of the room.

* * *

A Krogan stepped out into their path, "Halt, you must wait here until the clan leader summons you. He is in Talks."

Shepard glanced at Garrus, "Have I banged my head or did he just say the Krogan clan leader is in talks", he asked.

"I think so….I also think I may have stepped into a parallel universe", he looked hard at Shepard, "Nope….your still ugly."

Shepard snorted, "Right this I've got to see."

They ducked left and right, dodging either side of the Krogan heading towards the two Krogan beyond, the Guard turned after them angrily and with a suppressed groan Miranda led the rest of the group after them.

A huge Krogan in a red helmet with deep scaring down the right side of its face was arguing with a slightly smaller Krogan in a pale green helmet.

"You know what tradition demands" snapped green helmet, "Clan Urdnot will not go unopposed. Your reforms will not go unopposed and you risk appearing weak at a critical time.

Red helmet eyed him with the kind of disgust Shepard usually reserved for marine issue coffee. He was about to respond when suddenly he turned towards Shepard and Garrus as they advanced on him.

"Shepard" he barked jumping up from his throne, green helmet completely forgotten.

"Hello Wrex" said James grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

"SHEPARD MY FRIEND" bellowed the Korgan striding towards him and grabbing him in a huge hug.

"Jesus, Wrex…..careful of the damn ribs" laughed Shepard.

Miranda looked on, concerned and surprised and just a touch amused by the Krogan's response to Shepard's appearance. Still even his enhanced bones and musculature couldn't take much more of this treatment, armour or no armour.

She stepped forward to intervene but Shepard waved her away, "Ok Wrex put me down your pissing off my XO…this bodies her handy work and she tends to get worked up by people trying to squeeze it in two" he laughed.

The Krogan released Shepard, put him down and clapped him on the shoulder, smiling at the human grinning. "You look well for dead, Shepard. Should've known the void couldn't hold you."

Shepard snorted, "You know me I'm like a rash I always crop up when I'm least expected and not wanted."

The Krogan beamed and turned to look at Vakarian, "Still dragging around this waste of DNA I see, good to see you Garrus" he laughed stepping forward and gripping the Turians fore arm.

"Good to see you to Wrex" replied Vakarian smiling broadly, "You've moved up in the world. Clan Chief again."

Wrex snorted, "No one else wanted the job."

"Would that be due to a sudden and unusually high mortality rate amongst Clan Urdnot chiefs who weren't called Wrex" asked Garrus grinning.

Miranda frowned, she'd known that Shepard had forged his team into a capable fighting unit. She'd known he'd been close to Wrex and Vakarian but she couldn't believe that the two of them appeared to be genuinely happy to see each other. Shepard stood on the side grinning at the pair and all three seemed to be overjoyed.

The Krogan chuckled then looked at Vakarian, "You look like hell, what happened to you?"

The Turian smiled, "This pesky gunship that kept on bugging me and I thought 'What would my old friend Wrex do', so I head butted it in the missile."

Wrex gave a bellow of laughter, "Damn it Garrus I misjudged you, all this time I thought you were a stuck up stiff when it turns out you have a little Krogan inside of you."

"Can we not discuss Garrus's sex life here" asked Shepard with a staged shudder.

Wrex snorted, "I see his sense of humour hasn't improved then."

He turned back to Shepard grinning, "What the hell happened to you, how's the Normandy."

Shepard grimaced, "Blown out of the shy by the Collectors in a surprise attack, together with too many of the old crew. I ended up spaced."

Wrex chuckled, "Well, you look good. Ah, the benefits of a redundant nervous system eh."

Shepard smiled grimly, "Yeah, humans don't have that."

Wrex blinked and shook his head, "Oh…crap….That must have been painful."

Shepard shrugged, "For a little while, then I bummed about for two years being dead….not doing much….you know how it is."

Wrex snorted, "Still you're standing here, and you've got a strong new ship. Takes me back to the old days. Us against the unknown, killing it with big guns. Good times."

Shepard smiled but the Krogan in the Green helmet was virtually frothing at the mouth with anger. Miranda tensed, she knew she'd have to wait for the Korgan to make a hostile move or it could turn the whole camp against them and then they'd have to fight their way out…..it would get messy.

"You dare flout tradition by allowing these aliens to walk the soil of Tuchanka, the humans are bad enough…..but a Turian…if you do not have the strength to drive them out I will."

Miranda clenched her fist and got ready to use her biotics…..this was about to get ugly.

Before anyone else could react Wrex turned around and stalked towards green helmet, "THESE ARE MY BROTHERS YOU BASTARD SON OF A VARREN" he roared loaming over the green helmeted Krogan. "Speak when you are spoken to Uvenk, you dare threaten them in my presence and you and I can take a walk into the wasteland where our neutral ground agreement does not apply and I will beat you to a pulp with my bare hands, then I will get creative."

Uvenk glared but backed away, clearly not willing to face Wrex's wrath.

Wrex turned back to Shepard and grinned, "Useless bastard, I'll drag his clan into glory….he doesn't have to come with it…..so apart from this bastard who's your Krantt"

Shepard grinned, "Well the tall one with one eye is Zaeed Massani, gun for higher and the only person I know with more war stories than you. This is Jack, she has more biotic power than any non Asari I've ever seen and could be described as having anger issues….you two will get along like a house on fire."

He gestured to Miranda, "This is Miranda Lawson my XO, the woman who had the dubious pleasure of putting me back together and keeping me out of trouble."

Finally he pointed to Grunt, "This is Grunt, he's the main reason I'm here…..I need your help Wrex."

Wrex smiled, "Well Shepard you know 'A man's walking down the street one day', what do you need."

* * *

After the discussion with Wrex, during which Uvenk stormed off in disgust they went to talk to the Sharman to discuss this 'Rite of Passage' Grunt needed to perform.

Uvenk was there to, trying to get the Sharman to disallow Grunt, on what amounted to a technicality. Miranda could see the potential for a serious problem there. Shepard had a solution to it…..he head butted the bloody Krogan. Not the most well thought out or orthodox tactic Miranda thought, but undeniably effective, certainly the Sharman thought so.

"Ha-Ha" he laughed, "Well Shepard you and your Krantt may proceed….however Turian while I recognise your prowess as a warrior I would advise you not to join them….it would leave a permeant mark on Grunt's status, one he could never erase."

Shepard glanced at Vakarian, Miranda wondered if he would be annoyed but he seemed reasonably calm, "You ok watching yourself till we get back Garrus" he asked.

The Turian snorted, "I'll be fine, you need to take care out there."

Shepard grinned, "I'll be fine, you stay here, fight with Wrex a bit. Jack, Zaeed, Miranda, let's go help Grunt show these Krogan what violence really means."

Miranda rolled her eyes and fell in next to Shepard, ignoring Jacks evil glances….with that psychopath, a Krogan full off teenage hormones and a CO to whom it was all a game...this would be interesting.

* * *

Miranda let off a short burst of fire from her SMG into one of Uvenk's guards as she dodged through the rubble, vaulted a girder and twisted around behind a fallen column.

She turned to find Shepard crouched there, snapping off shots at the Krogan, "Well after a Thresher Maw these bastards are a bit of light relief" he said with a grin.

"Shepard we're low on ammunition, we need to finish this, now" she responded.

He nodded, "Zaeed can cover us, Jack and Grunt can go straight up the middle and I'll hit the right flank, get over around that shuttle and go in hard. Can you cover me, clear me a path with your biotics."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a hard look, "You do ask some stupid questions sometimes Shepard" she said with the ghost of a smile. She couldn't help it, the lunacy of the situation was getting to her.

Shepard grinned back like a kid in a candy store, "Well Ms Lawson, let's do this."

The fight was short but brutal. Jack and Grunt charged forward, hitting the Gatatog Krogan hard, drawing all their fire.

Shepard chose his moment and went right as Miranda hit the Krogan on that flank with a warp blast, shattering its armour and driving it backwards. Shepard saw the opening, vaulted the barricade the adrenalin from his suit giving him speed and put a high velocity round from his M-5 straight into the wounded Krogan's head at point blank range. Then he emptied the rest of the thermal clip into it for good measure.

Uvenk turned to meet this new threat just as Grunt charged him, driving him to the floor and finishing him with a point blank blast from his Claymore. The Gatatog clan chief, or what was left of him, twitched and lay still.

* * *

Shepard grinned at her as she approached, "Varren, those bug things, a Thresher Maw and a Krogan clan chief all in one day…..I'd say you've earned your pay check from the Illusive Man Ms Lawson."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a smirk, "I trust we're done here Shepard."

Somewhere, someone was listening and decided to screw with her for tempting fate.

With an angry bellow the horrifically wounded Krogan burst from the pile rubble they were standing on, sending a shower of rubble down.

Miranda lost her footing and went sliding down the pile of rubble, landing awkwardly and twisting her ankle hard. "Bloody hell fire" she swore at the pain as the wounded Krogan descended, its features twisted with blood rage, swinging its fists, not at her but at Shepard where he'd fallen.

Miranda watched in horror, her eyes flashing blue as she charged her biotics, knowing she would be too late, knowing the blow would break Shepard neck, knowing she had failed again.

A single, high powered concussive shot echoed across the battlefield and blew the Krogans brains out of its skull.

* * *

All of them turned to face the direction the shot had come from and saw four figures standing on a hill in the distance. Three of them were obviously Krogan, one was taller and thinner wearing blue armour who after a moment's pause lowered his rifle.

Shepard stared and shook his head, offering Miranda a hand up, "There's going to be no living with him after this" he commented dryly with a smile.

He glanced at Miranda, "Are you alright Lawson, you fell pretty hard."

"I'm fine Shepard" she replied coolly, pulling free of his grip.

* * *

**Note:** I am conscious that although I tagged Wrex he hasn't appeared until now.

I was originally planning on this being a short 5-6 chapter at most fanfic as a first venture into the concept…didn't quite go to plan. Therefore Wrex has taken his sweet time appearing.

I thought about chancing the tag but decided to leave it for now. I feel that although his appearance is relatively short he'd one of Shepard's old guard in the same way Garrus is and give's others *cough Miranda cough* an insight into how Shepard works.

As ever feedback much appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10: Thinking like a Krogan

**CH 10: Thinking like a Krogan.**

**Normandy SR-2: (In high orbit over Tuchanka).**

She was not fine, her ankle hurt like a bloody bastard.

She'd managed to mask the pain and avoid limping while they were on Tuchanka, stood with gritted teeth while Wrex had congratulated Grunt and welcomed him into the clan then turned to Shepard.

"It's good to see you haven't gone soft Shepard", he'd joked.

"Thanks Wrex and thank you for the save…..I hope coming out here with Garrus won't cause you any problems with the clan" Shepard had replied.

The Krogan had snorted, "I'm a Clan Chief Shepard, if I can't take a stroll in the wastes and show an old friend the beauty of Tuchanka in the spring then things have reached a sorry state indeed. Besides a little trouble for friends is of no great consequence….you taught me that remember."

By the time they were done and had returned to the Normandy Miranda's ankle had begun to throb incessantly and she got a sharp pain every time she walked on it, which meant a hairline fracture.

She'd gone to the infirmary once they'd got back and had the doctor take a look, she'd inevitably been right.

"I can fuse the bone in fifteen minutes Ms Lawson" Chakwas had said, "It's simple and relatively painless as you know but the soft tissue damage…..basically the swelling, is more complex. The best thing you can do is to elevate it and take it easy, I'll give you a brace and some ice and if you look after it then t should be back to normal in a day."

Take it easy…..great advice for someone who wasn't XO of a frigate and project director of a Cerberus cell. She managed to spend most of the morning working on reports with her foot propped up on the office chair which helped but she needed to get around and ensure things were being done, she was dammed if she was going to hide behind her desk. So she pulled the high heeled boot back on, gritted her teeth against the pain and went to work.

Having spent a painful hour in the CIC she returned to her office, deciding to get a cup of tea to wash down the pain killers Chakwas had given her. She hadn't stopped since they'd got back from the planet and the pain in her ankle wasn't making her fatigue any easier to bear.

She was in a foul mood and her usual cold expression was positively murderous, the crew noticed and gave her an even wider berth than normal, the one exception being Kasumi who smiled cheerfully at her, "Morning Miri" she said grinning.

Miranda was about to reply with a caustic remark when she miss judged a step and a stab of pain lanced through her ankle turning it into a tight grunt. Grabbing her tea she headed back to the solitude of her office.

* * *

Having got there she hobbled over to the seat by the window and stopped moving for what felt like the first time in hours….because it was the first time in hours.

She lent her head back and exhaled slowly, just as the door to her office hissed open….oh great, only one person didn't knock.

Miranda sighed and closed her eyes and counted to five then opened her eyes and glanced at Shepard as he stood behind her, his eyes raised and a smirk on his face. "A little bird told me that you were over doing it…...I was going to bring you some tea but decided that would just be rubbing salt into the wound."

She gave him a withering glare, "Would this bird be a magpie who likes to steal shiny things by any chance? I'm fine thank you Shepard…..was there something you needed."

He sighed audibly, "For god's sake Lawson you're tired and you're hurt, get off your high horse and relax for a bit."

She was surprised by the force of his words, they made her pause for a moment and he took advantage of that, moving swiftly over to her, taking the data pad from her and tucking it under one arm before stepping back and leaning on the bulk head.

She glared at him, "I can manage Shepard" she growled.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Don't worry Lawson, I won't tell a soul that your actually flesh and blood like the rest of us", he replied. Miranda gritted her teeth and sighed.

Shepard glanced at the data pad, "Uh huh….uh huh…uh huh…..hardly critical stuff, this can all wait till tomorrow."

She glared at him, "I have a job to do Shepard, a little annoyance like this ankle won't stop me. Besides I've seen you carry on with blood pouring out of gunshot wounds."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "That's in combat, the rest of the time I get a paper cut and you'll hear me whinging a kilometre away. Why didn't you ask me to help you out with whatever it was."

Miranda smirked, "I thought about it…..but the idea of you messing with my paperwork caused me more pain than the ankle."

Shepard looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Was that a joke Ms Lawson….you want to be careful, you might be delusional with the pain."

Miranda snorted, "I don't joke Shepard, organisation and paperwork are not your strength."

Shepard nodded, "True enough….that's why I'd make Garrus do it." He ignored the eye roll and sat on the other end of the couch, "I'm serious though Lawson, it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help."

Miranda sighed, "I do not like depending on other people Shepard."

He gave her a sad smile, "It's ok to do that when the people are friends Lawson. How are we doing anyway."

Miranda considered this from a moment, "The crews working well and the ship appears to be performing to specification."

"What's your impression of the team" asked Shepard siting back.

She frowned, "They appear to be developing well….I have to say I'm surprised…..your methods are unconventional but appear to be effective."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "That's the first time someone's ever accused me of having a method."

Miranda sighed, "Shepard I will be the first to admit your approach is haphazard but it is achieving results…..your leadership credentials are unquestionable…..I must admit I'm intrigued as to your secrete."

Shepard looked at her and smiled, "If I tell you my secrete will you promise to relax for the next six hours, nothing more strenuous than listening to Schubert and eating…I've got no idea what your favourite food is but that."

Miranda paused then nodded, "Deal."

Shepard sighed, "Truth is…there is no secret."

Miranda snorted, "Don't patronise me Shepard."

"I'm not" he replied, "When I was at the academy I received all sorts of lessons about leadership. How to assume the mask of command, keep your distance, don't get close to people, never let your soldiers see weakness…..it all seemed like a load of crap to me."

He paused then continued, "Then I was selected for alliance commando training and after a few months I was in a valley in the middle of the Canadian Rockies in winter. It was pitch black, rain was hammering down and we were freezing. There was this big sergeant taking us through the training, roughest, toughest bastard I'd ever seen. He sat us down in this valley in a rain storm and said.

'Ok guys, tell me what you think leadership is.' We gave him all sorts of answers and he shook his head and laughed, 'Guys, leadership is just being yourselves. One day you're going to be officers and you're going to be leading men, now they'll know you're in charge, they'll know the score so you don't have to go out of your way to make the point it. Just be yourselves and be good at your job and they'll respect you for it and instead of just obeying your orders they'll actually follow you.'"

Shepard looked at her and shrugged, "So that's what I do….I'm myself, I don't bull shit, I don't give people a front, I'm just…..me."

Miranda looked at him incredulous, "That's…..it" she asked.

"That's it", replied Shepard with a nod.

Miranda glared, "That's….not a lot to go on."

Shepard nodded, "Nope, but its worked so far. Now we had a deal, you're off duty for the next six hours."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "You cheated Shepard."

"Yep….it's who you are that counts Lawson, trite but true if you let people in they'll stand with you."

Miranda looked away, her voice growing distant and sad, "What I have inside was put into me by my father…..the intelligence, the ambition, it's all artificial…..that's what I can bring to the table"

"Maybe….maybe not but that's not important, it's not why I respect you. You're _not_ just a tool, to be used. Not by your father or by Cerberus and certainly not by me."

Miranda sighed, "Maybe I am. I like to know where I fit in the world. It helps me find meaning in how I was created."

Shepard leaned towards her and put a hand on her arm, "You are who you are, Miranda. You don't ever need to make excuses for it. Take it from a former street rat."

Miranda looked at him sharply "That's easy for you to say. We've both been engineered for greatness. The difference is, you were great before we rebuilt you. I'm great because of it."

Shepard raised an eyebrow "You know EDI is probably significantly smarter than you are in terms of raw computing power but if you'd put an AI in charge of that project I wouldn't be here, they'd have given me up as a lost cause. It succeeded because you decided it must succeed, it's your spirit and personality that make you great. It's what makes anyone great."

Miranda was struck by the sincerity of his words "Oh…..thank you Shepard. That's…kind of you. I'm not sure I believe you, but…..thanks for saying it."

Shepard smiled, "I'm not good at much Miranda, I can shoot, I can fight, I can run, jump and swim, I know small unit tactics, commando operations and I'm a half decent cook.

With all your advantages you could literally have done anything you wanted. You could have become rich, you could have become powerful, you could have created a playground for your personal amusement like Aria T'Loak has on Omega.

Instead you decided to do something that matters. I'm not saying I agree with your choices regarding Cerberus but the point is you chose to do something you believe in, just because you're good at it doesn't lessen the importance of that choice."

Miranda smiled and looked away, "Thanks Shepard…I…..thanks."

Shepard grinned, "No problem….. Now before we descend any further into chick flick territory I had an email from your boss. He's found out about humans disappearing and traced it to Clan Weyrloc on Tuchanka…..thinks it might be something to do with the Collectors…..wondered what you thought on it?"

Miranda had already seen the email through her uplink to his account, personally she thought it was unlikely. The Collectors had used Vorcha as cat's paws on Omega but the Krogan we're different. Far more difficult to persuade and impossible to intimidate. Still she made a show of reading the data pad.

"I think we should investigate" she said finally, Shepard nodded, "Agreed although I'll give you great odds we find its nothing to do with the collectors. I'm told the Normandy's scanner system can't do pin point surveys of Tuchanka because of all the residual radiation."

Miranda's lip curled in annoyance, "Yes it's extremely inconvenient."

Shepard smirked, "Yes those ancient Krogan who nuked each other really were inconsiderate. Anyway Wrex thinks it links back to a camp they've set up and Mordin's trying to track down an old friend of his….has a hunch it may be connected. I'll go in tomorrow morning with him and take a look."

Miranda nodded, "Sounds reasonable, who do you want."

Shepard glared pointedly at her ankle, "Not you at the moment. I'll go with Garrus and Jacob, give him a chance to get off the ship. You can coordinate the operation from here."

Miranda sighed, "Alright Shepard, was there anything else."

Shepard shook his head, "I'm going back to work….you're not. Enjoy your afternoon off Lawson."

Miranda looked at him thoughtfully as he left….and thought about what he'd said. Shepard was not what she'd expected. Not a cold, ruthless special forces soldier or a loud, bombastic, militarist. His methods and ideals contrasted sharply with her own….but so far they seemed to be successful.

* * *

**Tuchanka (Weyrloc territory).**

"I think we pissed them off Shepard" yelled Garrus as the Tomkah bounced along the road.

"What makes you think that" asked James, fighting the controls.

"Well….their shooting at us" replied Garrus.

As he spoke a shell streaked past and exploded by the road side ahead of them.

"Fuck…..how many are there brother" yelled James.

"Two" replied Garrus, "No wait….three" he added as he swung the turret gun round, "They're right up our arse Shepard."

"Hey I'm pushing this thing as hard as I can" replied James, "Can't you use those guns."

"I'm trying but there fucking siege guns Shepard….they're for hitting fixed emplacements hard not a fast moving Tomkah….and they're not calibrated", shouted back Garrus.

"Excuses, excuses. Jacob I need a way out of here", shouted Shepard.

"This road will lead us out of here Commander….but there's a bridge up ahead and it's sure to be under Weyrloc control. They'll blow us apart on the way in."

"Mordin any suggestions" asked James as he wrenched the APC around a corner as another shell whistled past to close for comfort.

"Have completed the covert part of the operation Shepard…..the situation has gone distinctly cloaca over cranium….more your speciality."

Shepard swore under his breath.

"Right, what if we off road it", he asked.

"These Krogan know the ground and these rigs better than we do Shepard...they'll run us down."

"Shepard what's going on down there" cut in Miranda over the comm.

"Not a good time Lawson, we've pissed off clan Weyrloc big time….took out their base but they've called in reinforcements….exfiltration is problematic."

"What's your plan Shepard", she asked.

"I'm still working on it" James replied.

* * *

As they tore down the road towards the bridge, the three Weyrloc Tomkah's in close pursuit Shepard saw that Jacob had been right. The entrance to the bridge was indeed blocked by another Tomkah. But even as he saw it the begiings of an idea started to germinate.

"Garrus…..do you remember that little stunt we pulled with Tali in the Mako back on Therum."

There was a paused, "….Shit Shepard you can't be serious."

"Unless you have a better idea in the next fifteen seconds" replied James.

"Shit" snapped Garrus again, "Everyone buckle in…this is going to be rough."

Shepard glanced over at Jacob and grinned, "He's not kidding" and he hit the accelerator.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2.**

Miranda watched the feed from the Normandy's orbital surveillance system, the Tomkah accelerated down the road as the shells exploded around them.

"What the hell is he doing" she hissed as the APC hammered down the road. "Oh no" she whispered, her mind going back to an intelligence report of Shepard's mission on Therum.

Surely he wouldn't.

Yes he bloody would…

* * *

**Tuchanka (Weyrloc territory).**

Shepard got as close to the end of the bridge as he dared, building up as much speed as possible. Then he twisted the controls hard, throwing the Tomkah into the embankment and up the side, flipping it over in a spin as it sailed through the air and managed to clear the top of the Tomkah blocking the entry to the bridge.

Then they landed on the bridge…**cash.**….**smash**…..**crunch**.

Inside the Tomkah everyone swore.

"Shit."

"Christ."

"Cloacas."

"For fucks sake Shepard."

There was a horrific impact which threw them forward and into their crash straps, which were the only thing that saved their lives. They were rolled over but the bone jarring impact as they ended up on their side and there was a horrific, metallic tearing sound as they slid along the bridge before coming to a shaky stop.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2.**

Miranda stared at the monitor, looking at the shape of the upended Tomkah, her mind racing. The odds of walking away from a crash like that were not good. Then she heard a voice crackle over the com.

"Alright….who's still alive."

There were murmurs of confirmation…..and some Turian curses regarding Shepard's parentage, his driving abilities and his sexual preferences which made Miranda's eyebrows rise.

"Right everyone out, Lawson you still with us."

"I'm here Shepard, are you all ok" she replied.

"Garrus has an ochie on his pinkie talon, other than that were fine but the Tomkah's had it. We're leaving it and the high power coms kit, we're about to go dark."

Miranda tensed, "Shepard I can't track you on foot, the interference from the radiation is too much for the Normandy's sensors."

"I know, if we can't find a way get in contact we'll RV back at the Urdnot camp. Do not try and pull us out with the Kodiak, you'd be shot down before you get within ten klicks….no time to discuss it Lawson there's a lot of pissed off Krogan here who want a chat. Shepard out."

...

The channel went dead, Miranda sat back, "Oh Bloody hell" she snapped.

* * *

******Tuchanka (****Weyrloc **territory).

The four of them piled out of the Tomkah, "Jacob, Mordin secure the other end of the bridge" ordered James. Garrus cover me, I'm going to try and slow those Krogan down."

"Why does that make me nervous" asked Garrus.

"Come on have a little faith….and get ready to run", replied James unclipping the demo-charges from his combat harness.

"Oh Spirits preserve me and give me strength to survive this idiot" snapped Garrus as he raised his rifle and started sniping.

Jacob was crouched at the far end of the bridge, his shot gun held ready.

"What are they doing" he shouted at Mordin.

"Can't tell….suspect it's designed to give us time to escape…..from context suspect it may involve explosives."

"Get down" yelled Shepard as him and Garrus sprinted towards them.

"Huh….I'd say that was a safe bet" replied Jacob as him and Mordin ducked down just as Shepard and Garrus reached them and flung themselves into cover. A second later the charges in the Tomkah's magazine detonated with a thunderous roar and a flash of light that blew the APC apart and ripped the central span out of the bridge.

'**BOOM'**

A thunderous blast wave of dirt and noise rolled over them, burying them in cloud of fine, choking dust.

* * *

Shepard poked his head up, coughing hard and scanned the bridge, as he'd hoped the central span was completely gone, stranding the Weyrloc Krogan on the other side of the bridge.

The downside of course was he'd just blown up their transport.

"Everyone OK", he shouted.

"Yeah, we're alright" replied Jacob.

"Shepard we need to get to higher ground" warned Garrus.

"No argument here brother….we'll head for that ridge to a north, you lead off", ordered James.

They moved swiftly up the ridge line until Garrus found a shallow depression that gave them cover which they dropped into, lying flat and facing outwards, weapons ready.

"Well….good news is we should be safe for a while…..bad news is we've no transport and no way of communicating with the Normandy through the interference from the radiation."

"So how do we get out" asked Jacob.

Shepard looked at them and tapped his boot, "We hoof it" he replied simply.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2.**

Miranda spent the next thirty minutes trying and failing to establish communications with Shepard and re-configure the Normandy's scanners to penetrate Tuchanka's irradiated atmosphere.

Once she realised she had failed again she spent the next six hours silently screaming inside her head at the bloody Krogan, James bloody Shepard and her own bloody incompetence.

However she'd always been able to multi task and while berating herself for her inability to sort a simple coms system, she realised she needed to get down there and try to resolve the situation…..to do that she needed Wrex's help.

Her ankle was mostly healed, the swelling had gone down and she pulled her boot on and did it up tight, pain be damned. Then she grabbed Grunt, figuring she'd need a Krogan backing her to have any chance at convincing Wrex to take her seriously and Kasumi because…because…..

Because in spite of the bloody nickname, the endless cheerfulness and the total inability to work within the rules Miranda found she thought she could trust the thief….she wasn't sure why and that in itself annoyed her. But she needed back up and she didn't have much choice so she decided to go with her instincts and manage the consequences later.

* * *

**Tuchanka.**

The shuttle ride down had been tense, Miranda tapping out an unconscious rhythm on her knee as she thought through her options…..trying to make a plan to resolve this screwed up situation.

Grunt was charged with energy, looking forward to being back on Tuchanka and the possibility of another fight. He'd been marginally more cooperative and helpful since his right, showing her a measure of respect, apparently her joining his krantt for that fight had earned her some kudos…..Shepard's approach to helping people did seem to have some advantages.

Only Kasumi seemed to be reasonably relaxed, as Miranda muttered under her breath. "Hey Miri" she whispered tapping her on the knee, "Chill okay….this is Shep…..he'll be fine."

Miranda glared back, "He's in the middle of the wastes of Tuchanka with no communications, no transport and limited water and ammunition, there is nothing fine about this situation, it's a bloody catastrophe."

Kasumi gave her a small smile, "Exactly…..which is where Shep's at his strongest."

Wrex was surprisingly receptive. When he heard was going on he dismissed the Krogan he was talking to with a death threat and called to Miranda. After Miranda explained what had happened Wrex nodded and spoke with a bark of harsh laughter.

"I should have known better than to trust James Shepard with anything on wheels. The man may be an exceptional light infantry leader but when it comes to driving or flying he's a damn menace."

He stood up from his throne and walked to stand in front of Miranda, "So Lawson, what do you think Shepard will do" he asked looming over her.

Miranda refused to be intimidated, "Based on his history he'll attempt to walk out, he'll avoid roads and cross rough terrain on foot to try and avoid or lose pursuit."

Wrex looked at her and nodded approvingly, "You clearly know him well, he'll get back here, so what do you need from me?"

Miranda gestured, "I need men, vehicles, we need to try to find them before they get caught."

Wrex contemplated her before nodding, "I will send out scouts to watch the most likely avenues of approach but the wastes are vast and I do not have the resources to cover them all without stripping Urdnot bare of defences."

Miranda sighed, "If we lose Shepard then all life everywhere will be threatened."

Wrex snorted, "Maybe you don't know him so well after all Lawson. If he were alone then Shepard might be in danger but he would move mountains to protect his krantt. Shepard will return safely because that is the only way he can ensure the safety of the others and with that though bastard Garrus watching his back he's unstoppable."

* * *

Shepard put them in a diamond formation, with him on point and Jacob watching the rear. He set a fast pace, leading them over rough, hilly ground where enemy Tomkah's couldn't follow them.

For several hours they marched in virtual silence, eventually it was Jacob who broke it, "Man if we die out here the Illusive Man's going to be pissed…..he invested a lot of money in bringing you back Shepard."

Shepard snorted, "Don't tempt me Jacob….I might shoot myself just to piss off Chuckles", he replied.

"Let me know if you want any help with that" added Garrus with a grin. "Anyway I refuse to die here…..not for me you understand but for all the women who'll miss out."

Shepard snorted even as he scanned the horizon, "Uh huh….like that crazy Asari on the citadel Garrus."

Garrus paused and grinned, "Ah Alanka she was fun."

Shepard snorted again, "Yeah that's why I helped you move your stuff out of her apartment in the middle of the night."

Garrus chuckled, "Ok she was colourful."

"She set your air car on fire Garrus" replied Shepard still grinning.

"Ah good times" said Garrus returning the grin.

Jacob was smiling to, Mordin shook his head, "I have always struggled to understand other species mating habits. Understand the process and the chemical imbalances which drive them but would have thought intelligent people would overcome them. Salarian way much simpler….less emotional trauma and property damage."

Shepard chuckled darkly, "Well before I would have said you're missing the fun bits but given how my last relationship ended I think you may have a point…..'You're a traitor and a terrorist' is certainly a new breakup line on me. How about you Jacob, any relationship disasters."

Jacob paused for a moment, "Well…..my last one didn't go so well…..I always came second to her work…she wasn't the kind to settle."

Garrus thought he saw Jacob glance quickly at Shepard's back and then away. He didn't say anything and Garrus decided to leave it, "Tough break" he muttered looking out at the desert. Then me paused and dropped to one knee, "Movement right" he said softly.

The group dropped into line next to him, their weapons ready. Shepard unslung his sniper rife and looked down the scope, "What you got brother" he asked softly, "Two O'clock" replied Garrus.

Shepard zoomed in and focused his cope, "Shit I see it, Varren pack and they've got our scent" he muttered. Shepard glanced behind him, "Right Garrus and Jacob fall back to that hill top half a klick to the north west and cover us."

"Shepard there's only about twenty of them, we've got the high ground, we can take them" offered Jacob.

"It's not the Varren I'm worried about Jacob. It's the Krogan that come after them" replied Shepard lining up a shot.

* * *

Miranda remained in the Urdnot camp, trying everything she could think of to contact Shepard waiting for news of some description from Wrex's scouts. As the minutes turned into hours she felt the knot of worry in her gut steadily growing. However as night fell she started to despair, surviving during the day in the Wastes of Tuchanka was difficult but after dark they were utterly lethal.

As the sun started to go down she was standing on a ledge, looking out in the direction of Weyrloc territory. Grunt had gotten upset because she wouldn't let him go charging off into the Wastes on his own to look for Shepard and had gone to find something to punch. She wasn't sure where Kasumi was, but then she rarely was.

She heard a noise behind her and glanced over to see Wrex emerge onto the platform and walk over to her. "You are concerned Lawson" she glared and turned to look out at the setting sun, "Shepard is the key to success in my mission Wrex, without him we can't win."

Wrex grunted, "Tell me Lawson who would win if you and Shepard fought."

Miranda had been expecting this question since the moment she'd met Wrex, "Me" she replied simply.

Wrex smiled grimly, "Why so sure" he asked.

Miranda grmanced darkly, "Because he would fight face to face I would come at him in the dark when he least expects it and because he would hesitate, I would not."

Wrex let out a bark of laughter, "I like you Lawson, you think like a Krogan. Won't stop me killing you if you ever threaten Shepard but I like you."

She shrugged, "I said I could kill Shepard not survive the reprisals…..for reasons I don't fully understand he inspires extreme loyalty in his friends."

Wrex nodded, "Yes he does and the reason you can't understand them is you think like a Krogan..…a commendable trait in combat but it makes it difficult to understand James Shepard. He will never abandon his Krantt and they in turn will never abandon him and so they will all come through together."

Miranda turned and glared at him, "That logics flawed."

Wrex grunted and smiled, "Maybe….but it's never failed Shepard so far."

Miranda sighed and turned back to look out at the setting sun and hearing the first howls of the wild things of Tuchanka. For the first time in her life she hoped someone else was right and she was wrong.


	11. Chapter 11: For old time's sake

**Ch 11: For old time's sake.**

* * *

**Tuchanka (The Wastes): **

As night fell they quickly got into a sadistic rhythm.

Take fire, return fire, break contact, pull out. Take fire, return fire, break contact, pull out.

They would have taken more fire if Shepard hadn't been leading them. He read the ground perfectly, taking them around defended points and away from obvious routes that could so easily be ambushes.

Instead he pushed them up tough hills and across broken terrain, avoiding ridge crests and open ground where there silhouettes would give them away.

During one of the infrequent rest breaks Shepard knelt next to Garrus, "Still glad you signed on with me again Brother" he asked.

Garrus snorted, "At least this time I have impartial witnesses that it was me who saved your ass."

Shepard grinned, "Dream on Vakarian, I'm tired of you using you're association with me to pick up women."

Jacob stared at them and shook his head, "Damn, Mordin is it just me or are these two crazy."

The Salrian considered this for a moment, "Seems likely….but then must question sanity of you and me given that knowing this we still follow them… paradox, if they are insane so are we but as we question our own sanity we must be sane enough to question it so therefore they cannot be insane because we aren't."

Jacob snorted, "Yeah well this whole situation seems a little crazy to me…all we need is to find a beautiful woman for Shepard to rescue and we're in holo-vid territory."

Garrus snorted, "Don't Jacob, don't tempt fate. Last time he did that it was an Asari archaeologist with massive biotic potential as well as massive naivety. If Shepard wasn't so clueless about women we'd have been straying dangerously close to fairy tale romance."

"Oh I don't know that could work" chipped in Shepard, "We've already got the plucky hero, the vengeful warrior, the loyal strong man and the learned wizard right here."

"No you see the 'Plucky hero' has to be brave, strong and good looking…..you're the comedy relief" replied Garrus with a grin.

"Piss off Vakarian" replied Shepard with a smile.

There was a roar off in the distance and they swung their guns to cover it.

"Thresher maw" asked Garrus softly.

"Based on previous recordings seems likely" replied Mordin.

"We need to get over that ridge line, one's enough for this trip" Shepard commented, gesturing further north.

The rose and moved off into the pitch black.

* * *

**Tuchanka (Urdnot Camp):**

She slept, badly, in the Kodiak, the com frequency scanner and sensors set to detect the slightest evidence of Shepard or the others. Kasumi slept on the opposite bench while Grunt had gone off to head-butt members of his new clan…she had no idea why and right now didn't care.

She woke before dawn the next morning, stretched to get the knots out of her neck and swallowed a mouthful of bottled water before stepping out into the pre-dawn gloom.

She threaded her way through the shadows, the jet black and pearlescent white of her cat suit standing out against the grey of the industrial decay and took up her position on the ledge from the night before looking out at the waste.

Grunt joined her a few moments later, he'd clearly been waiting for her. "We should be out there Lawson, looking them" he barked at her.

Miranda sighed, "Grunt we've discussed this, you cannot go out wondering through the Wastes looking for Shepard."

"He is in danger and we sit here doing nothing like weaklings, it sickens me" barked the young Krogan.

Miranda felt the start of the type of headache she normally associated with Shepard, "What do you suggest Grunt, he could be anywhere, where would you like to start looking."

Grunt barked, "We cannot just wait here…..our krantt needs us."

"Grunt stop complaining I can here you from out here" said a sudden voice in there com.

"Shepard" snapped Miranda into the com, "Shepard is that you."

"Morning Lawson, we're coming in, do me a favour and make sure Wrex knows. Would be a shame to have walked all this way and get blown up because we get mistaken for Pyjaks.

* * *

They walked up onto a rise, deliberately silhouetting themselves in the breaking dawn light so they could be seen by trigger happy Urdnot guards. They cast long, thin shadows as they descended down the slope.

They walked into the camp through the hole in the side of the wall of the massive building. They looked like hell, stained with dirt, dust, blood and assorted filth. Jacobs arm was in a makeshift sling fashioned from a rifle sling and Garrus had a huge bruise on the side of his face.

The Urdnot Krogan stared, stunned at the two humans, the Salarian and the Turian as they walked into the camp, Shepard leading them. Miranda stared down from the railings, next to Grunt and Wrex, shaking her head in amazement, not because they'd all made it back…..but because they were all grinning like idiots.

Shepard paused by the Krogan mechanic they'd spoken to earlier and reached into one of his pouches and drew out a spare part, "Found this combustion manifold lying around the Weyrloc base….reckoned you might be able to use it."

The mechanic snatched it eagerly from his hand, "Thanks….but how the hell did you bring it back", Shepard shrugged, "I carried it….I told you I'd get you one."

Wrex exploded into laughter, "Shepard you miserable bastard, after all the crap you pulled in that Mako I should have known better than to trust you with one of my Tomkahs, still at least that one will be fixed soon."

Grinning Shepard leapt up the step and caught Wrex's fist in a tight grip, "Nice to see you to Wrex you ugly asshole and there is nothing wrong with my driving."

He glanced at Miranda, "Morning Ms Lawson, sorry we're late, we took the scenic route."

Miranda tried to glare but it turned into an amazed shake of her head, "I'm….glad you're ok Shepard" she said finely.

Shepard smiled at them then gestured back at the group, "More or less, Jacob's arms broken and we'd ran out of medigel, Garrus got a rock thrown at his face by an irate….something, but all in all, could have been a lot worse."

Miranda looked at him, his eyes were bloodshot, he had a cut on his fore head crusted with dry blood, his armour was so filthy it had gone from black to brown….but he was in one piece, they all were. "Yes Shepard it could" she managed, astonished by his relaxed attitude.

As the others walked wearily up the steps to join them Kasumi suddenly materialised, looking very concerned, "Oh my god Jacob what happened" she asked.

Jacob shrugged, "I was slow, got bitten by a Varren."

Kassumi made a concerned sound, "Ah, really."

"No" replied Shepard with a grin, "He kept saluting me so I broke it for him."

Jacob snorted, "Dream on Commander, I can still do more pull ups one handed than you can with two."

The group burst out laughing, "You've been spending too much time with Garrus Jacob", laughed Shepard.

"Oh no you're the one who corrupts peoples respect for authority Shepard" replied Garrus, "I was a nice, steady cop until you came along now look at me…..fallen in with a bunch of reprobates on Tuchanka."

Wrex loomed over them all, "Well it is good to see some things never change, as I told you Lawson there back and as insufferably self-satisfied as ever."

Shepard smiled at the huge Krogan and nodded to Grunt, "Morning Grunt…..managed to start any wars in my absence."

The young Krogan shook his head, "I fear not battle master, Lawson would not let me. Now though we could go and find something to kill…."

"I wasn't suggesting it Grunt" replied Shepard with a grin, "Save it for the Collectors, right now what I need is a hot shower, something to eat and a cold drink."

He glanced at Wrex, "I don't suppose you'd consider coming with us Wrex, I could use your support and I guarantee they'll be some good fights."

Wrex snorted, "With James Shepard and Garrus Vakarian how could there not be…but I cannot my friend, someone has to keep these short sighted fools in line."

Shepard nodded resignedly, "I get it Wrex you have your own people to think of now and I'd never deny you that…..would have liked you backing me up."

Wrex nodded and the look on his face was one of respect, "I would like it to Shepard but we rarely get what we want. In the mean time you have a fine crew and as a member of my clan Urdnot Grunt will serve you well…..least he damn well better or I shall be extremely pissed off."

Grunt and Wrex exchanged a long glare, Miranda tensed wondering if they were about to see a Krogan leadership challenge…then Garrus burst out laughing.

"Oh spirits this takes me back."

Shepard was grinning, "Me to, okay Wrex I can't imagine anyone's stupid enough to launch a coup attempt if your gone for a few hours. Come up to the Normandy and scare the crap out of my cook by having something to eat with us, for old times sake."

Wrex nodded, "It would be an honor Shepard."

* * *

As they waited for the shuttle to warm up, Kasumi at Shepard's instruction helped Jacob with his gear and Garrus and Wrex exchanged good natured insults and abuse. Shepard didn't join them but walked over to Miranda where she stood apart and perched on the rail next to her.

"Good job keeping everyone in line Lawson, especially Grunt" he said quietly.

She glared at him, "I was simply doing my job Shepard" she replied.

He sighed, "You know you're a really hard woman to compliment" he said dryly.

She looked away her expression grim, "You took a hell of a risk out there Shepard."

He nodded, "Yes I did…..it paid off though. So what did I miss."

"Besides the CO going AWOL with half the team" asked Miranda coldly.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not going to let this one go" asked, his tone a mixture of sarcasm and amusement.

Miranda glanced at him, "I've been a little busy trying to find you…..EDI hasn't informed me of anything major" she admitted.

"How's the ankle" asked Shepard, catching her off guard.

"Its fine…..aren't you worried about the ship."

"I was worried about getting my team home, I was worried about Jacob's arm, I was worried about Mordin de-hydrating. At no point over the last twenty four hours did I worry about the Normandy and do you know why?...because I've got you to cover my ass on that Lawson" he replied with a smile.

Miranda's softened and she sighed, "I've made several critical errors since we've started…"

"Name one" cut in Shepard, "Name one mistake that you've made that actually significantly impacted the mission which you could have conceivably avoided making."

He watched her for a moment before smiling again, "You're going to get things right 98% of the time Lawson, the 2% is what I'm best at so don't worry…..trust me, when you screw up I'll let you know about it."

She sighed and looked away, "We should check in with EDI" she said mechanically not able to decide if she was annoyed or happy or worried by his apparent confidence in her.

Shepard reached for his com with a shake of his head, "Normandy this is Shepard do you read over."

"Good morning Commander", came the AI's voice in their ears."

"Morning EDI, what have you got for me", he replied.

"All systems are operating within tolerance limits, no deficiencies to report. I have been receiving reports from Tuchanka indicating a substantial loss of influence for clan Gatatog following the death of Uvenk Gatatog."

Shepard smiled, "We'll anything that helps out Wrex is fine by me."

"In addition" continued the AI, "Killing the Thresha Maw during Grunts rite of passage has produced several breeding requests for Grunt…..and one for Shepard."

Grunt let out a below of triumph at the news which turned into laughter as the AI delivered the second piece of news, Wrex joined him chortling loudly.

Shepard's eyes flashed wide, he put his head in his hands and loudly snapped, "Shut Up Garrus."

The Turian put on an expression of wounded innocence's…..like a Varren caught in a hen house. "I didn't say anything Brother" he said in a hurt tone.

"You were thinking it" snapped back Shepard.

Miranda couldn't help it, she tried to stay composed but the lunacy of the situation combined with the lack of recent sleep made her grin and she let out a quite laugh, stifled so quickly she thought no one could hear it over the Krogan's deep bellows.

Shepard shot her a glare, "Oh great, now you find your sense of humor" he groaned.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2:**

"I think you should think about it…I mean not to put too fine a point on it, it's the best offer you've had in over two years."

"Garrus I WILL kill you" snapped Shepard jumping out of the Kodiak.

"You need to be more receptive to the idea of interspecies intercourse Shepard" replied the Turian jumping out behind him.

"Ok how about I ram my foot up your ass" replied Shepard.

Miranda sighed resignedly just as Kelly Chamberes bounced….literally bounced into view flashing a bright white smile. If Miranda hadn't been so meticulous about her observations she might have been inclined to agree with Shepard that chemical's had to be involved somewhere in that girls attitude.

"Good morning Commander, Ms Lawson, oh Mr Taylor what happened to your arm."

"He was in a horrible saluting accident" commented Shepard dryly, "Kasumi take Jacob to the infirmary and if he tries to escape you have official permission to use your EMP on him. Kelly this is an old friend of mine Urdnot Wrex."

Chambers seemed to reach new heights of excitement, "Oh my goodness it such a privilege, I've read so much about your time with Commander Shepard chasing Saren."

Wrex was clearly trying to work out what the hell was going on, he turned to Shepard who smiled, "Well apparently your reputation precedes you Wrex, this is Kelly Chambers my yeoman, she's enthusiastic so be nice and you are not allowed to pulverise, tenderise or consume her on my ship."

Wrex harrumphed unhappily, "Sometimes you take all the fun out of life Shepard."

Shepard grinned, "Grunt, Kelly look after Wrex for a little while. We all need a shower urgently then we'll meet in the mess for something to eat…..tell Gardener to tipple what he's got on for breakfast. Mordin you and I will have a chat after breakfast, then I'll show Wrex around."

He looked at Miranda, "We'll spend today getting our house in order XO, there's a few upgrades we found down there I want sorted, Garrus will inevitably want to calibrate the hell out of something and Jacob needs time to get his arm fused. We can _all_ take it a bit easy OK."

Miranda sighed inwardly, she hoped this wasn't the start of Shepard trying to nursemaid her.

However most of her work would mean she was in her office today anyway and while the thought of a Korgan battle master on the Normandy was slightly alarming Shepard had shown remarkably good judgement so far and she wasn't picking up on any particular hostility from Wrex. Besides he'd been willing to help her, keeping him sweet was not a bad idea.

* * *

The day passed slowly for Miranda, having showered, cleaned her teeth and changed into a spare uniform she worked steadily through the accumulated work on her desk. It was all fairly routine, the Normandy was running reasonably well. The mission was not going as fast as she'd hoped with the regular diversions Shepard indulged in but as of yet there'd been no progress on ways to get through the Omega Four relay so they had time to play with.

After lunch, which as usual she ate alone she returned to her terminal to find a new email in Shepard's inbox from the illusive man.

* * *

**Shepard,**

**Miranda was reviewing your weapons' auto-recorded telemetry, particularly the hit-to-kill ratio. Being the busybody she is, she sent a request for additional firepower. The techs think something long-range and anti-shield would be useful, so we've issued you an Incisor sniper rifle. It will be in the Normandy's armoury. Put it through its paces, and let us know what you think.**

* * *

Miranda frowned. She understood the Illusive Man was using basic psychology to try and improve his relationship with Shepard.

However he could have done it without going behind her back and compromising the working relationship she'd developed with Shepard.

She felt slightly betrayed.

Then she saw Shepard reply go out...

* * *

**Count V Drakular,**

**Given the choice between Miranda's attention to detail and your selective memory when it comes to things like intelligence on the enemy I'll take the former every time. Her ability to anticipate requirements has undoubtedly saved all our lives on several occasions while I'm still not quite sure what it is you give me other than a constant bad taste in my mouth at the thought of working with you.**

**Yours pissedofferedly,**

**Shepard.**

* * *

Miranda stared at the message, she was surprised at Shepard's aggressive defensive of her behind her back, it suggested he really did mean it when he said he respected her.

It was vaguely annoying, she didn't need anyone sticking up for her…..still it was surprisingly nice to know he was.

* * *

Later on she found Shepard with Garrus, Grunt and Wrex in the cargo bay throwing knives at the heavy bag Shepard had ruined a few weeks ago after his meeting with Ashley William's. She was slightly surprised to find Jacob with them…..and not at all surprised to find Kasumi watching them.

"Hey Miri" she said with a grin, earning her a scowl from Miranda, "The boys are having fun…..reckon it's not long before the shirts come off" she said with a grin.

Miranda redoubled the ferocity of her scowl, "Really Kasumi" she asked despairingly.

Kasumi grinned, "Hey there's an old Japanese proverb, 'Sore wa anata ga iru kagiri anata wa shinpi-tekina hibiki no koe de sore o iu yō ni seiyō ni iu kotode wanai mondai ni narimasu.'"

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Seiyō anata ni hanashi ga bakadearu baai ni nomi kinō shimasu."

For once Kasumi was speechless, "You speak Japanese" she managed eventually.

"Since I was four" replied Miranda with a smirk as she turned back to the group practicing with their knives…..which for Wrex and Grunt meant a machete.

"You have a strong ship Shepard and a good crew…..with the exception of this idiot" he said gruffly as he threw the machete across the room and impaled the heavy bag.

"You're just jealous I have Thanix cannons" replied Garrus with a smirk, drawing back his knife and casting it, piercing the bag straight above Wrex's.

"They're a good bunch Wrex" replied Shepard, "Talking of which, your turn Jacob it appear the XO wants to keel haul me."

"We don't have a keel Shepard" replied Miranda as she approached them, "What are you doing."

Shepard shrugged, "We'll the bag was finished anyway so we're just putting it out of its misery", there was a 'thwack' as Jacob's knife struck the bag.

Miranda sighed, "Ah ha, can I speak to you Shepard."

He nodded and she led him away from the others, sheathing his combat blade.

* * *

"Have you made a decision about our next objective" she asked.

Shepard nodded, "I've read through the dossiers your boss sent us, I think our best bet is to go after Tali next, she's a known quantity and she's an engineer, a skill set we're lacking."

Miranda nodded, "Makes sense but she's deeply antagonistic towards Cerberus, do you think you'll be able to convince her."

Shepard pursed his lips, "It'll be difficult….but with Garrus with me I have a decent chance. But I'll need to know the full story which means I need everything on Cerberus's involvement with the Migrant Fleet, no censorship."

Miranda sighed, closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Those records are deeply classified Shepard."

"Then you'll have to trust me" he replied simply.

She opened her eyes and nodded, "Alright I'll get it to you. I'll go prepare the file now."

"Not tempted to join us for a round of knife throwing" asked Shepard with a grin.

Miranda gave him a level look, "I'm a grown adult Shepard, I'll leave that to those best qualified for it."

Shepard smirked, "Well I do hold the record Lawson, and it's probably for the best I wouldn't want to have to kick my XO's ass in public."

She looked at him and smiled, then stepped, twisted and moved. Whipping the combat knife from sheath on Shepard's waist, drew her arm back and cast a perfect throw. The glistening blade cut through the air towards the heavy bag on the other side of the room and slices neatly through the cord holding it.

The bag dropped to the floor with a thump and the knife struck the bulkhead with a metallic ring and it clattered off the floor, to the shouts of surprise and disbelief from the others.

Miranda turned and smirked at Shepard who was looking open mouthed at the throw, "Sorry Shepard you were saying something about a record?"

Before Shepard could think of a response she turned and walked out of the cargo bay.

Shaking his head Shepard walked back to join the others at the fallen heavy bag to retrieve his knife, to joyful laughter from Kasumi.

Wrex looked at them shrewdly, "Can I give you four idiots a piece of advice…don't piss her off."

* * *

Miranda got back to her office and allowed the smile she'd been repressing to emerge…that would teach him.

She sat down at her terminal and started to put together the information on Cerberus's activities when a red flagged email popped up in her inbox. She frowned and opened it up...

It was from Lanteia.

Oh no.

Oh Dear God No…

* * *

**Authors Note:** I apologies for what I'm certain is total butchery of Japanese. Unlike Miranda I don't speak it and have to reply on translation software.


	12. Chapter 12: Little Sisters

**Ch 12: Little Sisters.**

**Normandy SR-2:**

Miranda Lawson did not panic.

Miranda Lawson did not freeze.

Miranda Lawson did not lose her powers of rational thought.

So why after ten minutes was she still staring at the message from Lanteia, silently panicking, frozen and without the power for rational thought.

Forcing herself to get a grip she opened the secret compartment in her bottom desk draw and drew out the data pad.

The message was a code phrase, a perfectly innocent looking message about cooking which corresponded to an actually message she had stored on a data pad, encoded to her gene print. It was possible she'd got the translation wrong.

She hadn't.

The corresponding message was there, plain and simple as she'd known it would be.

She'd burned that message into her memory years before.

'Targets location compromised by Primary Threat, immediate action required, re-location of Target advised. 6'

The number six corresponded to the level of certainty of the information….six meant it was known to be true, no possibility of error.

Miranda looked in horror at the message, she felt sick, chilled to her bones.

Then years of training took over and she went into automatic.

She started checking her sources, her work for Shepard forgotten. Lanteia was very reliable, but it was possible she was wrong or she had been compromised.

After hours of work she sat back and shivered with cold and fear.

Everything confirmed it. Her other sources, the various trip wires she'd placed in systems, the filters she'd set up to monitor seemingly random events.

There was no mistake, he was moving.

She was almost out of time and options.

She had to get them relocated and soon.

She had to get to Illium.

Which meant….

She needed Shepard's help.

Forcing her hand not to shake she reached for the com, "Ms Chambers can you tell Shepard I need to see him as soon as possible", she ordered.

* * *

Shepard went to see Miranda later that evening. The group had been having a beer in the cargo hold and swapping stories of the last two years…..short in his case as he'd been dead for most of it. He'd decided he'd better check in with his Yeoman before getting completely hammered, to his surprise Kelly has a message from Miranda asking for him to come and see her.

Leaving Wrex and Garrus to continue winding up Grunt and Jacob with vastly embellished stories of the hunt for Saren, he headed over to Miranda's office.

He entered, curious to see what was so urgent and found her sitting at her desk looking very subdued and…..worried.

Her forehead was wrinkled by a frown, not of concentration but of concern and James could swear her lip was trembling slightly.

Miranda looked up at him and spoke quietly, she didn't exactly mumble but it was damn close, "Shepard, I find myself in the unpleasant position of needing to ask for your help."

He was about to make a wise crack but something made him pause….Miranda looked pale…..true she always looked pale but this wasn't just her complexion she looked tired, her voice was subdued. Her eyes though were the biggest give away they were filled with exhaustion…..and fear.

She carried on a little more forcefully, "I don't like discussing personal matters but this is important."

James lent on the back of the chair his voice soft with no trace of humour, "Miranda you know by now how I work, tell me what's on your mind. If I can help I will."

She spoke faster now, anger creeping into her voice and gesturing with her hands to make a point, her eyes narrowing in anger. "I've told you about my father. Remember I said he's extremely wealthy and he paid a great deal to genetically tailor me."

"I believe I referred to him as a total bastard" said Shepard with a grim smile, "If I didn't then I should have."

Miranda nodded but didn't smile, "When I learned my father was more interested in controlling a dynasty than raising a daughter, I left."

James's voice grew hard, "If he's caught up with you then we'll deal with him."

This time she gave him a slight smile but her eyes were filled suddenly with worry, "My father has given up coming after me after I sent him some very clear messages to him in the form of dead agents. Plus he's not stupid, he won't cross Cerberus….but this isn't about me."

She got up and walked to the window, James stayed where he was, giving her towards him, her tone and body language growing aggressive.

"I have a sister….a twin and he's still hunting her. Cerberus has kept her safe….until now."

James eyebrows flew up at that, Miranda Lawson, the ice cold Cerberus officer had a sister….oh boy.

But he let her continue as her tone rapidly became desperate.

"She's living a normal live on Illium, safe and hidden from my father."

The pieces were falling together so rapidly even James could see where this was leading.

"Only not anymore, your think your father's tracked her down?"

"Precisely Commander."

Oh shit she'd just used his rank…..she was scared.

"My sources indicate he knows she's on Illium. I've tried to keep her hidden without impacting her life, but I'm out of options", she was talking rapidly now and turned away from him to pace like a nervous tiger.

"He's too close, I need to relocate my sister's family before it's too late."

James was about to put a hand on her arm and tell her everything would be fine, that they'd sort it when a horrible, ugly but non the less very relevant thought struck him

Could this be a trap…the move he'd been half expecting from her since he'd come on board the Normandy designed to draw him into Cerberus's web…a black widow move the N-7 instructors used to call it.

She's a friend in need, what better bait for a trap for James Shepard…..maybe if you make that friend a beautiful woman…..NO don't think of her like that, get your mind off her looks and on the problem.

He frowned and stood up straight, holding up a hand to try and calm her "Ok slow down, I need a bit more background, what can you tell me about your sister."

Miranda stopped pacing, leaned on the chair her head bowed and paused for a long while, seconds ticked by, then she seemed to come to a decision. She straightened up and looked him in the eye, a fierce expression behind her eyes.

"She's my genetic twin. We're identical but she deserves a normal life" Miranda's gaze grew fiercer as she spoke, "And she's going to get it, no matter what."

If this was play acting she was damn good, on the other hand if it was real she was scared and angry…..like any normal person would be.

"Do your sister's family know all this" asked James trying to get a handle on the situation.

"Miranda shook her head, "No there completely normal they don't know about our father or Cerberus."

"So how are you going to relocate them" asked Shepard.

Miranda gave him a smirk and he was glad to see it, the regular slick professional showing through, "I've had contingency plans in place for years Shepard ready to mobilise. I've got a positive reason to move the family….it's the short notice that's caught me off guard."

The last words sounded bitter, it didn't take a genius to guess that Miranda once again wrongly blamed herself.

"Have you spoken to your sister about this" asked James.

"My sister doesn't know I exist, she'd never met me and she's not going to, it's better that way" replied Miranda firmly.

That his Shepard like a thunderbolt, to care this much for someone you'd never met…its seemed ludicrous, bizarre…but then what little he knew about family told him that that was so often the case. Miranda's motives were her own…the question was where did he come in.

James sighed and crossed his arms, all business, "What do you need me to do?"

Miranda replied half determined, half pleading, "My father is extremely persistent. I'd like to go to Illium when Cerberus is moving the family to make sure none of his agents gets to close."

Shepard shrugged, "Seems straightforward enough."

"There's a time frame Shepard."

'Ah, complication number one' thought James.

"How tight" he asked.

"One week at the very latest" replied Miranda.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "So far to soon to pull off on our scheduled timetable."

Miranda nodded and the fierce look returned to her face, "Yes Commander and I need you to break that timetable."

James paused, "If I do there's one condition."

Anger flashed across her eyes, "What" she asked tight lipped.

"I'm coming with you, you'll need someone to watch your back" replied Shepard.

"And make sure I'm not screwing you behind yours" replied Miranda tightly.

James shrugged, "The thought had occurred to me but it's not my primary reason, Illiam's at least as dangerous as Omega and you're worked up over this, you need someone looking out for you while you're looking out for your sister."

His voice softened, "Added to which you shouldn't have to go through this alone…..do we have a deal?"

She sighed, "Deal."

James nodded, "Ok I'll do it, we'll divert to Illium" he said making his decision.

"Now let's sit down and come up with a workable cover story and a mission plan."

* * *

James said goodbye to Wrex who was in a good mood thanks to the beer and the chance to argue with Garrus. He pulled Shepard into a big Krogan hug and clapped him on the shoulder with enough force to stun an ox.

"Hunt well Shepard" he barked.

"You to Wrex" replied James feeling his ribs creak.

Once the shuttle had departed Garrus headed back to his quarters, none of them had slept properly for almost thirty six hours and with the adrenalin wearing off the Turian clearly decided it was time to get some shut eye.

Shepard though knew he wouldn't be able to sleep…..he still had Miranda's words running through his mind.

So instead of his cabin he sought out the comforting retreat of the Port Observation lounge.

Kasumi was very tolerant of his bizarre nomadic habits and she poured him a drink from a bottle…..which she then took off him and put back on the shelf.

She was tolerant, not stupid.

James looked at his drink, his mind running in circles with his conversation with Miranda coming back around and around.

The ugly suspicious part of his mind, nurtured by years of training kept asking the same question.

'Could this all be a con.'

True they'd built up a good working relationship and he would class her as a friend…..although she might not do the same for him.

But Miranda Lawson was an unashamed Cerberus loyalist, hell she wore the logo where it was _very_ plain for all to see. She was also the most efficient spy he'd ever met and spies we're manipulators by trade, the good ones became masters at it, the bad ones became dead.

But if it was a con what was the end game…..could that Illusive bastard be using her as a Cat's Paw to secure Shepard's loyalty to her and so indirectly to Cerberus.

Shepard made no secret of his desire to help others, his compassion for those in need or his extreme protectiveness of his friends. It was an obvious weakness that an unscrupulous person would exploit.

But she hadn't given him any reason to doubt her yet, yes she reported his every movement to that shadowy prick but she'd told him so without any prompting. Plus Miranda seemed genuinely terrified for her sister and Shepard's instincts were telling him he could trust her on this. She was either an exceptional liar or…

Or the fear and desperation was all too real and she'd opened up to him about her biggest weakness.

James saw pieces coming together, Miranda's past actions started to make sense. Why would a young girl run to an organisation like Cerberus, why would someone who was entirely comfortable working with aliens chose an organisation like that, what was the motivation.

Fear's a strong motivator…

Anger's stronger still….

Hate even more so…

But love…...love trumps them all.

Real love. Love for a sister. For family….there's nothing you wouldn't do for love.

Shepard would never know the love of a family, but would he join Cerberus to protect Garrus or Wrex or Liara from something like Miranda's father….would he join them to bring back Kadien.

Hell yes…..he'd march back into Miranda's office and demand the membership form.

He knew he was in danger of projecting his motivations onto Miranda.

But he also knew that if you claimed to call someone a friend that meant you gave them the benefit of the doubt.

The bottom line was it didn't matter if Miranda saw him as a friend, he thought of her that way and he wouldn't…..he couldn't turn away from her when she'd asked for his help. Hell he'd told her she should do it more often.

No he'd see this through, he'd help find her sister, if it turned out to be a trap he'd just have to trust to his skills and luck to bail him out…he'd take chance for a friend, it wasn't like it would be the first time.

Shepard knocked back his drink and rose.

"Thanks Kas" he said with a smile.

"No problem Shep…..looks like you had a lot to think about."

Shepard shrugged, "I thought I did….turned out to be very simple in the end."

* * *

"Change of plan Joker, we're heading for Illium."

"Commander…..what's going on", asked the helmsman.

Shepard shrugged then realised this was incredibly pointless given he was in the CIC and Joker was in the cockpit.

"We can be reasonably sure of tacking down Tali any time but both of our other two targets are mobile and difficult to find by their very nature, I want to find them before they disappear."

This was the cover story he and Miranda had decided upon, it made sense and should hold water.

"Aye-Aye Commander, man it was easier with Anderson, he never went anywhere off the beaten track."

James rolled his eyes and headed up to his cabin to try and get some sleep, he thought he should probably feed his fish.

On entering the cabin it became apparent that he'd left it far too late, so he spent ten minutes getting rid of dead fish.

Then he sat down on his bed, undid his boots and jacket, he knew he should shower but he was exhausted, he closed his eyes and more tired than he knew fell asleep.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2: (Nos Astra, Illium).**

"Have you managed to arrange a meeting with your source" asked Shepard.

Miranda nodded, "Yes although the final meeting won't be set till near the time for security. My contact's name is Lanteia, she'll meet us in the lounge near the Nos Astra docking bay. When she sends a signal we'll have thirty minutes to meet her."

"Are you expecting any opposition on this" asked Shepard.

Miranda shook her head, "No Its tight but I think we've moved in time, if it all goes to plan my sister will be off world before my fathers people get her."

Shepard gave her a wan smile, "Since when does anything in this galaxy go to plan."

Miranda gave him a hard look, "With me almost always, the exceptions being when your involved."

Shepard shrugged, "Right well I want to find out what's happening on this rock, the more we can get a feel for the atmospherics the better prepared we'll be. Plus we do have a couple of new recruits to find."

Miranda nodded, "Agreed, the more background we can get the better and if we stay locked down we'll attract attention."

Shepard gave her a grin, "Yeah, plus I'm sure it's better than you pacing the ship snapping at everyone like a wounded tiger."

Miranda glared and he gave her a wink as they headed towards the airlock.

Garrus met them on the way and the others were all waiting at the airlock.

"What's this, has the circus come to town" asked Shepard with a grin and received various forms of abuse in return, the team were well used to their bosses sense of humour by now.

"Two words Shepard, 'Shore Leave' "replied Zaeed.

Shepard sighed, "Really….on Illium, you do know this place is notorious for screwing the unwary."

"Why do you think we want to get some time ashore…..land of fucking opportunity" growled Jack.

Shepard sighed, "If I have to come and bail or break any of you out I will be seriously pissed off. Jacob you're in charge of making sure no one gets arrested or shot."

"Why me" asked Jacob.

"Because me and Lawson have work to do and I wouldn't trust Garrus with a day trip to mars, you're next in line" replied Shepard with a grin.

"Your mistrust is well placed Shepard, Jacob sucks to be you" said Garrus with a grin.

* * *

**Nos Astra, Illium**

As they disembarked onto the dock they were met by a richly dressed Asai and a couple of LOKI mechs. Garrus glanced at Shepard and they automatically moved apart, setting up a crossfire on the potential hostiles. Garrus noted Miranda took up a position just to Shepard's right and behind, backing him up and covering his blind spot.

Fortunately the Asari seemed hospitable, "Welcome to Nos Astra Commander Shepard" she said with a warm smile, the kind Garrus associated with girls on a card table.

The Asari continued in a tone loaded with honey, like a pitcher plant, "We've been instructed to wave all docking and administration fees for the duration of your visit."

Shepard and Garrus exchanged a weary look, "Uh huh great, what's it going to cost me in the long run, my soul, my first borne…..Garrus" asked Shepard gesturing at the Turian.

The Asari smiled tolerantly, "Fee's were waved on the instruction of Liara T'Soni, who paid all fees on your behalf. No mention was made of a reproductive obligation or indentured servitude."

"Since when does Liara have those sort of resources" asked Garrus.

The Asari pretended not have hears, instead she continued, "My name is Careena, Ms T'Soni has asked I direct you to speak with her at your convenience. She is near the trading floor."

Shepard waved that away, "Let's go back a second, you heard my friend, what does Liara do that she's able to make red tape go away and what do you mean 'a reproductive obligation or indentured servitude', you do realise I was joking."

The Asari smiled tolerantly, "Ms T'Soni is one of Nos Astra's most respected information brokers. In answer to your second question Illium is a free trade world and gate way between the Asari Republics and the Terminus Systems. It is a wonderful world for those who can afford it. In order to remain competitive we've relaxed many of the contact term requirements and standards of living that you'd find on other planets, it's a small price to pay for keeping out competitive edge in goods from the Terminus Systems."

Shepard's eyes were getting narrower and narrower with every words and his face was growing darker, Garrus knew his own expression was mirroring Shepard's.

"Free trade of what exactly" asked Shepard his voice low.

"Anything you can imagine Commander" replied the Asari, "Most drugs are legal, provided they are labelled properly. You can buy almost any weapon or technology. You can even buy indentured servants."

"Slaves" spat Garrus and Shepard in unison.

The smile got even sweeter and more false, "We try to avoid calling it slavery, the word has such negative connotations. All indentured servants on Illium have voluntarily agreed to a term of service. Most choose indentured service as a means to pay off debt or avoid imprisonment. A contract holder is responsible for the well-being of her servants and a servants duties are agreed upon before the contact is signed."

Shepard's eyes were hard as flint but his voice was soft when he spoke, "Sounds delightful if you happen to be wealthy and if not, I guess you get what's coming to you."

He glanced at the team, "Let's go people, I need some fresh air, it smells of hypocrisy in here."

* * *

Outside Shepard took a deep lung full of air, "Why do I feel like I need a shower" he asked.

Garrus grunted, "You sure letting everyone off the ship is a good idea."

Shepard shrugged, "Possibly not but I'm not their keeper."

He turned back to the others, "Right I'm going to see Liara. Garrus, Kasumi and Lawson you're with me, anyone else who wants to come can….."

He waited until the various shouts of derision and sarcasm had finished, "Uh huh that's what I assumed, Jacob's in charge, watch each other's backs and look after each other understood."

Having got nods and affirmative words of varying sincerity Shepard led them off in the direction of Liara's office, leaving Jacob to try and deal with the others.

* * *

"Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have."

Shepard looked at Garrus and raised an eyebrow, "Sound familiar" he asked, "Disconcertingly so" replied Garrus grimly.

"I will make it simple for you. Either you pay me or I flay you alive. With my mind."

Shepard led them into the room and spoke loudly enough to attract the attention of the Asari looking away from them.

"Hi there maybe you could help me, I'm looking for a friend of mine, a sweet young archaeologist, she fell in with a bad bunch a while back."

Liara spun round, "Shepard, Nyxeris hold my calls", she ordered walking towards him and throwing her arms round him in a tight hug.

"My sources said you were alive, but I never believed…..it's very good to see you again."

"Good to see you to Liara and yes it's really me plus some fancy cybernetics" replied Shepard putting an arm around her with a grin.

"Don't worry he's still the same irritating asshole we know and love" added Garrus.

Liara looked at him and her face lit up and for a minute she looked like the naive kid they'd found on Therum.

"Garrus it's so good to see you…..Goddess what happened."

Garrus smiled ruefully and touched his face, "Shepard was jealous because you kept falling in love with me so he shot me in the face."

"Unfortunately it only made him prettier" replied Shepard with a smile.

Liara rolled her eyes, "It's good to see that neither of you have changed."

"Why would we change perfection" asked Garrus innocently.

Shepard just laughed and turned to the two women, "Liara T'Soni meet Kasumi Goto my sort of tame thief and Miranda Lawson my XO."

Liara turned and nodded to them, and Garrus caught it. A flash of recognition when she looked at Miranda. It was gone so quickly it was hard to be sure, but Garrus's C-sec instincts were clear…..they knew each other.

He frowned but kept quiet…..now was not the time.

Liara gestured and bought them to sit down and they sat and talked, they had a lot of catching up to do.

The conversation rapidly moved from them and their mission to Liara, her problems, and the reasons for uncharacteristically callous words. True to form Shepard was more interested in what Liara needed rather than what information she had for them. Garrus knew the score and was more than happy to play along.

"Are you in trouble Liara" Shepard asked straight out.

"No, no trouble." She rose and turned to look out over the city. "But it has been a long two years, I have debts to repay."

Shepard glanced at Garrus then back, "How can we help" he asked.

Liara shook her head, "My problems Shepard, they're up to me to make right, you have too much to do I can't ask for your help…."

"Hey" cut in Shepard sharply, "You know you don't have to Liara."

She turned, "Shepard I…"

"A man's walking down the street one day Liara" said Shepard softly, "What can we do to help."

* * *

Shepard glanced at the others, "Right Kas you come with me and make me look an idiot at hacking. Garrus you watch our backs. Lawson I'll see you later once you've got your things in order."

Miranda nodded and without a word disappeared off into the crowd, Garrus frowned after her then turned back to Shepard, "Something the matter."

Shepard shrugged, "Probably not, anyway lets go and have some fun breaking the law."

Garrus sighed, "You know I used to be a pillar of the community" he said with a sorrowful shake of his head.

Shepard grinned, "Yeah or to put it another way your life was really boring before you met me."

Kasumi grinned, "He's got you there, come on super cop let me show you how a thief gets things done."

* * *

_Two hours later_

"Job well done I'd say…..Kas I'll double your pay" said Shepard with a grin.

"You don't pay me Shep, Miri does" replied Kasumi grinning.

"Uh huh, well I'll stand you a drink later. Anyway for now you can clear off and have some fun, Garrus can I have a word, Kas…..oh for Christ sake" muttered Shepard as he looked where the thief had been before she cloaked.

"Right anyway Grrus I need you to do me a favour, did you have any plans for later…..", asked Shepard.

Garrus shrugged, "Nothing important."

Shepard nodded, "Ok well do me a favour, I need you to head back to the Normandy and wait for me there."

Garrus looked at his friend worried, "What the matter Brother."

Shepard shrugged, "Very probably nothing, I've got to go and check up on something. It'll probably take me a while but if it goes to plan I'll be back by morning. If it doesn't…well then I may need your help."

Garrus gave him a long look, "Would this mysterious something be the reason we changed our plans at the last second and put off going after Tali to come here."

Shepard smiled ruefully, "When did you get it."

Garrus snorted, "Come on Shepard this is me, you others might buy that but I know you."

Shepard nodded ruefully, "Sorry I would have clued you in but it's not my secrete to tell."

Garrus shrugged, "I'm not worried about that Shepard I trust you, I'm worried about you getting your idiot self into trouble."

Shepard grinned "I'm fine, it's….well it's like that little thing I helped you with on the Fedele or that trip to get Wrex's armour, I'll call if I need you."

Garrus gave him a hard look, "Alright I'll wait on your word brother, same system as we used to use?"

Shepard nodded and drew a small, paper note book from a pouch on his armour and scribbled something on it, "Here's your word, you know the drill, memorise it, destroy it, do not put it into anything electronic."

Garrus nodded, "Yeah, yeah I know, you watch you back brother."

"I'll be fine brother, see you in a few hours."

* * *

Miranda threaded her way through the crowds, keeping a low profile, wrapped in a long, black robe and shawl to conceal her cat suit and weapons.

She was here now, she didn't need Shepard…..yes he was good in a fight, but this was her problem and she'd solve it herself.

She moved silently, avoiding attraction attention towards the entrance of the eternity bar. She reached the steps and started to climb.

"Hey there, I haven't seen you around here before, your first time."

Miranda closed her eyes and sighed and then looked up as Shepard emerged from the shadows.

"What are you doing here" she asked annoyed.

"Waiting to see if you'd welch on our deal, I had a bet with myself…..I won", he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Now's not the time Shepard" replied Miranda turning away.

"Agreed we can fight later, for now you've got a problem and like it or not I'm here to help", Shepard said falling into step next to her.

"I don't want your help Shepard", she snapped.

"Tough you're getting it, now either we go talk to your contact or I start my barrage of Garrus Vakarian patented pick-up lines and trust me that's a fate worse than death for any woman."

Miranda let out a resigned sigh, "Oh for god's sake…..fine but we do this my way."

Shepard nodded, "No problem, it's your party I'm just backing you up."

Miranda nodded, "Fine, follow me and keep quiet."

Lanteia was waiting for them in a private booth, standing, her arms behind her back in a pose that betrayed her Commando past.

"Ms Lawson I'm glad you made it, we've had a complication."

* * *

**Note:** I know some people have had problems accessing the next chapter, including me. this seems to have resolved itself now but please any more problems let me know.


	13. Chapter 13: 'The Word is Prodigal'

**CH 13: 'The Word is Prodigal.'**

**Illium:**

Miranda's heart dropped, "What happened, is Oriana alright" she asked, her voice betraying her concern.

"She's fine" replied the Asari, speaking quickly and clearly. "But….you listed a man named Niket as your trusted source. He contacted me, warning that your father has sent Eclipse mercenaries to make a sweep. He suggested that the mercs might be watching for you personally.

He's offered to escort to escort Oriana's family to the terminal instead.

"Who's this Niket, you didn't mention anything about him" cut in Shepard and Miranda gave him an irritated glare, already regretting letting him come.

"He's a friend, we go back a long way" she replied.

"Do you want to bring in any of your other Illium contacts Ms Lawson", interrupted Lanteia, clearly not overly impressed with Shepard.

"No" replied Miranda, "You and Niket are the only two I trust on this."

"Anything you can do about the mercenaries" Shepard asked Lanteia.

Lantai gave Shepard a sharp look, "Such as what, as of yet they've done nothing illegal."

"You telling me an ex-commando doesn't have a few tricks up her sleeve" asked Shepard.

Lanteia looked at him curious, Shepard shrugged, "Takes one to know one" he elaborated.

Miranda sighed, "No Lanteia you've done enough, Shepard it looks like I'm going to need that help after all."

She expected some sarcastic response or at the very least a poorly timed joke, instead he just looked at her and nodded, "You've got it Miranda, she's your sister, how do you want to play it."

Miranda felt relieved that for once Shepard was taking things seriously, she turned back to the Asari, "Lanteia we'll follow Niket's suggestion, Shepard and I will take the car and draw their attention. Have Niket escort Oriana and her family to the shuttle. Give him full access to their itinerary, just to be safe."

The Asari nodded, "Understood Ms Lawson."

She switched her gaze to Shepard, "You watch out for her."

Shepard nodded, "That's what I'm here for" he replied.

He turned and looked at her, "So the plan is for us to get shot down by Eclipse while your sister gets to safety…..Miranda, this sounds more like my sort of plan than yours."

Miranda sighed, "Eclipse will be under orders to take my sister alive. They won't risk anything that could kill us."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh, sounds great on paper but if we're switching up from a recon to a gun fight we need back up."

Miranda shook her head adamantly, "No I'm not involving anyone else."

Shepard glanced at the Asari, "Give us a minute ok."

Once Lanteia had retreated Shepard looked hard into her eyes, "Miranda the first rule of combat is no plan survives first contact with the enemy, as you well know. We need back up."

"This is not a mission Shepard this is my sister, I won't let you put her at risk."

Shepards voice was hard but soft, "Miranda you have read every detail of my missions. I'm reckless, I'm immature and I'm sometimes short sighed but I am never, ever, careless with innocent life. When I say we need back up its not because I'm trying to take control, it's because I believe it's the best way to protect your sister."

Miranda turned away, "There's no time" she replied simply.

"Garrus is standing by, he can be with us in five minutes" replied Shepard.

Miranda whirled around to have him shocked, "You told Vakarian" she hissed.

Shepard shook his head, "No I told him it was possible I'd need his help, he knows nothing at the moment but we need him.

Bottom line Miranda if we're alone and you get wounded out there your sister will get taken because I cannot sort you out and lay down cover fire on my own and I won't leave you behind."

His words were spoken in the calm, relaxed tone she'd heard him use when talking people down….she hated that, but it worked.

He had a point…..two were venerable, three less so.

He also knew Garrus Vakarian and the Turian's combat abilities.

As if reading her thoughts Shepard spoke again, "You need every edge you can tonight, remember what I said about giving one hundred and twenty percent when I fight next to Garrus…..that's the kind of thing that's evens impossible odds."

She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "If anything happens to my sister…"

"Nothing will I promise…..I swear to you Miranda we _will_ protect her."

She bowed her head and nodded once.

Shepard reached for his com, "Garrus, the word is Prodigal, I say again Prodigal."

"Have that brother, I'm in bound" replied the Turian immediately.

"Meet us at the eternity bar" ordered Shepard.

He glanced at her, "I'm ready whenever you are Miranda."

She nodded, her anger gone, swamped by the rapidly growing worry for her sister, she turned and began to walk towards the exit, striding purposefully.

Shepard fell into step next to her, walking in silence.

"Thank you Shepard, I….I do appreciate this", she said after a moment her voice business like again.

"It's what I do" he replied.

"I hadn't planned on Eclipse" she added after a moment, then smiled ruefully, "But they never planned on you."

* * *

Miranda ended up driving, Shepard navigating and Garrus, much to his displeasure in the back seat. He shut up though as Shepard started to brief him on the background while Miranda scanned the city scape and made and rejected plans for the best way to find Eclipse. In the end Eclipse found them.

"Damn it", Miranda snapped her tone worried, "Eclipse Mercenary gunships, they'll be dropping troops in the cargo areas."

"Oh great I just love gunships" commented Garrus sarcastically.

As they watched a pair of gunships swept down and unloaded their complement of troops onto the cargo marshalling yard below.

"Hang on I'm coming around", Miranda said banking the gunship as she felt her worse fears confirmed.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, "Miranda" said Shepard softly, "Trust us…..we've bought our A game tonight."

"There spreading out….urban warfare deployment…..sloppy, they think tech attacks will be enough to keep us at arm's length" commented Garrus.

"Miranda put us down in that cover behind them" Shepard said checking his rifle.

Miranda smiled ruefully, "Let's hope they really do want to take us alive" she said turning the air car into a steep dive.

"I wouldn't worry, a very smart woman told me they do" replied Shepard with a wink.

…

"Shit" they all said together as the tracer rounds rose up to meet them.

"Shepard I blame you entirely" shouted Garrus as the bullets raked them.

Then….suddenly…..they stopped shooting.

"I've lost it….brace" shouted Miranda and they went in hard.

* * *

The air car hit the deck, bounced once….twice…then slid along the hard standing with a horrific grinding noise before coming to a shaky stop.

For a long moment there was silence

….

Then,

"I just want it on record I wasn't driving this time."

* * *

The doors opened and they disembarked, weapons coming up instantly, "Garrus right flank" ordered Shepard, his rifle trained on the Eclipse mercs. He glanced at Miranda, "Plan A just went to rat shit you ready to improvise."

As he spoke Miranda saw a big, bulky human Eclipse engineer in advanced tech armour approaching them with two gunmen at his side, doubtless he had numerous tech weapons.

She nodded in his direction, "First we talk, we need to know what's happening and try to get them to back off, if that doesn't work…."

"Then we make them back off" replied Garrus softly as he moved to their right, setting up a cross fire.

Miranda looked at Shepard who nodded, she returned the nod and they walked towards the advancing merc.

* * *

James took his lead from Miranda and had his rifle slung low as they approached the Eclipse merc leader, he looked tough…..but he clearly wasn't as smart as he thought. People who rely on tech attacks shouldn't let a commando get up close and personal.

Above them the gunships lifted off with a scream, Miranda ignored it and advanced towards the mercenary, Shepard one step behind backing her up while Garrus stayed low and quiet, his weapon trained.

Miranda cut straight to the point, her voice sharp, "Since you not firing yet I trust you know who I am."

The Eclipse leader spat leaning forward aggressively, "Yeah they said you'd be in the car, you're the bitch that kidnapped out bosses little girl."

"Kidnapped, try rescued" snapped Miranda incredulously, her usual confidence showing through, James smiled.

"This doesn't involve you," carried on Miranda her voice full of authority, "I suggest you take you men and go."

"Think you've got it all wrapped up huh" replied the engineer clearly enjoying his moment of power, "Captain Enyala's already moving in on the kid. She knows about Niket, he won't be helping you."

Shepard spoke, his voice like flint, "I'm not in the mood to play games errand boy. You're not getting Miranda's sister. If you try and push this it'll got badly for you."

The merc leader folded his arms had gave them a contemptuous look, "Captain Enyala ordered us to give you one chance to walk away."

He swaggered towards them, sneering, "This whole time we've been talking my men have been lining up shots."

"So have I brother" replied Garrus softly in his ear through them com.

The merc continued to swagger forward, "When I say the word we unleash hell on your squad, so I suggest you walk away nicely unless you want things to get ugly….."

Shepard dodged right and slammed his fist into the engineers throat, crushing his wind pipe, twisted, got the man in headlock even as he moved his hips and with a brutal wrench snapped the man's neck.

The two Eclipse gunmen stared, stunned for a moment.

Miranda didn't, in a flash her pistol came up and she put four rounds into each of them, perfect shot groupings.

Shepard levelled his own pistol and fired rhythmically into a cargo crane above the remaining mercs positions as they opened fire. The crane it went crashing down on top of two human mercs, crushing them under tonnes of steel, then its power cells detonated filling the area with fire and acrid black smoke.

The last merc, a Salarian engineer looked around in confusion and horror at the explosion behind him….a split second before Garrus's high velocity round took his head off.

"Garrus cover us, Lawson on me we have to shut this down now" ordered Shepard swinging up his rifle and pouring rife at the mercs.

They were in a gunfight against an unknown number of enemies, his solution…..stay aggressive, stay on the attack, keep them off balance.

Miranda moved forward, her SMG raised, with Shepard following a step behind. A few desultory shots came there way, to be answered with bursts of rifle fire.

Then Shepard dropped into cover and motioned for Miranda to do the same. "Sniper on the gantry, watch our front while I hit them."

"Shepard I have to get to my sister" shouted Miranda a note of desperation creeping into her tone.

"Miranda we do this right otherwise we all get clipped…trust me" yelled back Shepard.

She paused….then nodded, Shepard smiled and flipped the sniper rifle off his shoulder. "Ok Garrus I'm going to start hitting them, work your way round on their right. Lets show them what precision shooting really looks like."

Between them they took out four enemy marksman on the walk way above. As they were doing this another human gunman came charging round the corner spraying shots and was ripped to shreds by a savage biotic warp blast from Miranda. "Come on we need to get to Niket" she said rising.

Shepard nodded to Miranda as he put away his sniper rifle, then he unslung his assault rifle and gestured for them to move right in the direction the lone merc had come from.

Half way along they took fire from a pair of Eclips gunmen advancing on them. Garrus dropped onto his belly in the open and put a tight cluster of four shots into the leader's head, shattering shield, armour and bone.

The other merc came up against Miranda and Shepard, an EMP, a high velocity shot and a furious volley of gunfire and he was down.

"Keep moving" ordered Shepard, his blood stream filling with adrenalin and he darted forward and round the corner, straight into the face of the last merc.

Shepard twisted, ducked under the rifle and slammed his pistol into the mercs helmet.

The Phalanx barked three times and the merc fell, the side of his head blown apart.

Shepard stepped back and holstered his pistol, "Teach me to look before I leap" he muttered stepping up to the elevator the merc had been guarding and fiddling with the controls.

Miranda and Garrus joined him a second later, "We clear" he asked, Garrus nodded.

Miranda looked down at the fallen Eclipse soldier, or more specifically at his radio which was squawking. She reached down and picked it up.

"Hang on I'll patch us in, see if I can get an idea of what we're up against."

She looked back and paused at the expressions on their faces, then sighed and straightened up.

"I think I owe you an explanation. Oriana is my twin….genetically."

'Oh crap', thought James sensing something big was coming.

"But my father…..grew her when I was a teenager", her tone miserable and contrite.

'Oh double crap.'

He sighed, why had she led them here with fault intel…

No… she hadn't led them anywhere. She'd wanted to do this herself and he'd crashed the party and insisted on bringing Garrus to. He was the one at fault for being a god damn cowboy.

"She was meant to replace me." Continued Miranda and suddenly her eyes were full of fire and her voice grew angry, "I couldn't let my father do to her what he did to me. So I rescued her."

Miranda's expression changed growing slightly wistful, "I guess…..she's almost a woman now."

"How old is she exactly" asked Shepard, "If we're here to rescue a child the equations changed."

"She's not a child" replied Miranda defensively, "She'll be Nineteen this year but…..well it didn't seem relevant at the time….no I'm sorry. The truth is I didn't fully trust you before. There are people who'd use her against me. I'm very protective when it comes to Oriana. Still I'm sorry I didn't trust you sooner…you deserved to know."

"I don't deserve anything Miranda….but I would like to have thought I'd shown you that you _can_ trust me" replied James with a sigh.

Miranda nodded but Garrus was frowning now.

"Nineteen, Miranda….just how old was your sister when you took her" asked Garrus softly.

She didn't looked away but met his gaze, "A couple of months."

"Spirits….your telling me that you ran when you were just kid yourself with an infant", asked Garrus impressed.

"That couldn't have been easy" agreed James, "Must have taken a lot of guts."

Miranda closed her eyes and winced at a painful memory…..which considering the horrors she'd seen with them through with them said a lot.

"My father…..if you knew him you'd understand why I had to try. Oriaian….."

She looked at them angrily, "I named her Oriana, he called her Naomi."

James looked her and raised an eyebrow, "Sorry am I missing something here."

Miranda bit her lip, "My father lacking in imagination but not vision, I wasn't the first one he made just the first one he kept and for convenience sake he named us alphabetically."

Shepard looked at Miranda open mouthed in horror and revulsion, "NO" he gasped.

She nodded.

James began to feel a special kind of hatred for Mr Lawson, the kind that resulted in people dying very badly.

Miranda continued now, the barriers were down and she looked tired and scared as she relived the memories of what had to be a brutal childhood, "I was bought up with no friends, other than the ones I made in secrete and pushed to meet impossible demands. Any action I did that did not consider every variable and possible outcome was a failure. Any academic score that was less than perfect was a failure. Anything I did which wasn't one hundred percent perfect was a failure. I wasn't a daughter to him, I was….."

Miranda broke off and looked away and for a moment James thought she was going to cry and frankly who the hell could blame her.

Then she got herself under control and was the cool professional again, "I don't know what I was and it doesn't matter, Oriana has had a normal life. I made the right decision."

"And I thought my father was a bastard" commented Garrus.

James looked at him, "You still in Brother."

"You bet your life I am" replied Garrus grimly.

James stepped forward and put a hand on Miranda's arm, "If Eclipse knows where Oriana is they'll be moving on her soon, we need to hurry."

Miranda nodded, "Agreed. I'm a bit worried by what that merc said. If they've got to Niket somehow, this is going to be harder than I'd planned."

"That why we're here Miranda" said Garrus softly.

"He's right….he's ugly but he's right", added Shepard with a grin.

Miranda smiled weakly and turned to lead them into the elevator, "According to the specs I reviewed we'll need to cut through the cargo processing yard to get to Oriana….what" she asked at their looks.

"You memorised the specs?" asked Shepard incredulous.

"Of course" replied Miranda.

"Why don't we ever do anything smart like that" asked Garrus.

"What can you tell us about the Cargo yards" asked James.

"We'll be moving through the conveyor system" responded Miranda unconsciously ticking off points on her fingers. "There'll be lots of movements. Finding targets won't be easy, we'll need to stay sharp. Plus those cargo transports carry hazardous materials so watch what you shoot at."

"A dark, noisy hall with lots of obstructions, lots of targets and lots sight lines….sounds like my kind of fight", said Garrus.

Shepard gave her a wink, "We'll you heard the maniac, let's go find Niket and Oriana."

Miranda nodded, "Right" she said, trying to sound resolute and instead sounding miserable and worried.

Shepard hit the button and the doors closed.

* * *

The door opened and they stepped out, weapons up, Miranda leading them.

"They're on the far side of the conveyor line, time your shots" she warned.

"Miranda stick with me, Garrus do your thing."

"With pleasure" replied Garrus slinking into the shadows.

Shepard and Miranda moved forward, weapons up towards the walkway across the nearby conveyor line. James motioned towards cover and together they dropped into a position hidden behind some crates.

Shepard motioned to Miranda and they both snuck a peak over the crated at the enemy on the other side of the conveyor line, less than twenty meters away.

Shepard ducked back before they were seen and nodded to Miranda then held up five fingers, he counted down silently mouthing the words.

On one they both rose up, Miranda unleashed a biotic blast which tore the nearest merc's shields to shreds. He stumbled backwards, stunned and bleeding and Shepard put a high velocity shot through his forehead, finishing the job.

The remaining Eclipse mercs unleashed a storm of gunfire, but they were lousy shots and the rounds sparked off their cover.

"I think they know we're here" shouted James as he returned fire, Miranda didn't respond, she kept pouring fire at them.

"I'm sending in a drone" shouted one of the Eclipse engineers….a moment later her head exploded. "Scoped and dropped" commented Garrus dryly, "Nice shot" replied Miranda sounding impressed.

"Miranda go" shouted Shepard rising up onto one knee and unleashing a hail of fire from his M-15, the heavy pullets tearing at the eclipse mercs.

Keeping low as James laid down cover Miranda doged behind him and up to the barrier to the conveyor line. A merc rose the opposite side and she hit him with a warp blast that shredded him with the power of the mass effect field.

"Nice work" grinned James a moment before a round penetrated his shield and struck him in the shoulder.

"Fuck" he swore twisting and hitting the shooter with two bursts from his rifle, killing the merc before he could take cover.

Then James hit his armours adrenal boost, the discharge raising his reaction times a hundredfold, time seemed to slow as he leapt up, dodged right, firing, taking a merc in the throat.

Dodging to the side and moving forwards, leaping from cover to cover and firing as he went killing two more mercs just while Miranda's biotics tore a third apart as she closed in behind him.

It broke the dead lock, the Eclipse mercs tried to fall back as they pushed forward, some to new firing positions some to run away. Miranda and Shepard cut down one each before pin point head shots from Garrus cut down the remaining two.

"Keep the bitch back. Niket is nearing the transport terminal" crackled the captured radio.

Miranda cursed, "Damn it, damn it, damn it."

"Hey take it easy she's panicking because we're winning" James said calmly as he led them deeper.

"What's Niket's background, are we sure he's with us" asked Garrus.

"Absolutely" replied Miranda, "Niket is one of my oldest friends. I guess you could say he was my only real friend. He's the only person I didn't cut ties with when I left my father."

Shepard and Garrus froze simultaneously and looked at her. "Niket knows your father" asked Shepard incredulously, "But that means your father could be using him to get to you."

Miranda waved it off, "I'm sure he's tried but Niket's one of the few people who understands what my father's really like" she replied. She looked at James earnestly, "I trusted him with my life when I ran from my father Shepard, he won't betray me now."

Shepard sighed but nodded, but Miranda was so focused on him she didn't see Garrus give the tiniest shake of his head behind her. The message between them was clear, 'Be ready for an ambush.'

"We need to keep moving" ordered Shepard as he led the way.

* * *

They fought through two more close ranged firefights with Eclipse mercs and LOKI mechs. There aggressive tactics were working, Eclipse were panicking and Enyala was getting desperate.

"I don't care how many mechs you lose just stall them" she snapped.

"I do like a challenge" grinned Shepard as he advanced, dropping another merc before Miranda fried his partners shields and finished him with a head shot.

"One less" she said coolly and James was glad to see Miranda wasn't going to pieces.

They ploughed into a close range fire fight with heavily armed eclipse gunmen, engineers and even a few rocket troopers but they were milling around, poorly co-ordinated. The lethal marksmanship from Shepard and Garrus cut through their shields and drove them backwards towards the hi-ex container Miranda promptly hit with an EMP….

**BOOM**.

As they swept through the yard, engaging more hostiles as they went and always keeping up the momentum.

"Divert everyone except my guard from Niket. I'll handle him and the kid personally" crackled the radio.

"Damn it I'm not letting her get Oriana" snapped Miranda.

"No we're not" replied Shepard as they pressed on.

* * *

Eclipse fought every step of the way but James and Garrus were fighting at the peak of their abilities and Miranda…..

Miranda was like an avenging angel, everywhere she looked, everywhere she pointed enemies died. She glowed blue with biotics and her weapons sparked.

"Miranda be careful" snapped James from cover as they were pinned down by heavy fire. He drew his M-97 and stared sniping.

"I'm fine, we can cut down through the cargo line" she replied moving swiftly forward.

"Christ, Garrus cover us" ordered Shepard drawing his shot gun and moving in behind her.

The fighting degenerated into a vicious close range brawl where Shepard ended up using his pistol and shot gun more than his rifle, a couple of times he even drew his knife, stabbing at an enemy that had got to close.

Still they pushed on, as he dropped yet another Eciplse merc with a high velocity round from his pistol Shepard saw Miranda pressing ahead unsupported.

"Miranda you'll get yourself killed" warned Shepard.

"I won't lose Oriana" she snapped back.

"And I won't lose you" he yelled, "We fight together remember."

She glared but fell back into formation as they hammered into the Eclipse rear guard protecting the elevators.

* * *

"That's it….we're clear" reported Garrus.

"Niket has reached the terminal, he'll switch the family over to our transport."

Shepard winched.

"Niket….But that can't be right" managed Miranda weakly.

* * *

"Maybe the captain knows we're listening in and she's feeding misinformation about Niket making a switch" suggested Miranda clearly grasping at straws.

Shepard didn't say anything, just hit the elevators button and stood clear of the doors.

"Or maybe it means something else", she continued, "Niket wouldn't do that….damn it why won't this thing go any faster."

With an irritated shove Miranda punched her omni tool into the control panel….instantly killing the music and tripling the speed.

"Hmm…that was easy" commented Garrus.

Shepard ignored him and focused on Miranda, "You know him Miranda and he's your friend so we give him the benefit of the doubt…but I have to ask, are you one hundred percent sure."

Miranda swore angrily, "I don't know damn it. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Her eyes narrowed, "Then I'll have a word with this Captain Enyala."

Shepard smiled, "The poor bitch" he said quietly.

* * *

He was really scared now, the Eclipse were all nervous and he'd heard the words 'fighting' and 'rear guard.'

"Listen to me, I've got authorization to change their booking" he tried again with the docking official.

The transport officer sighed with exaggerated patience, "I'm sorry sir. We're under security lockdown. Until the situation in the cargo terminal is resolved no passengers can be rebooked."

"This isn't worth my time Niket" cut in Enyala, her voice edgy, "I get paid regardless of how the girl gets there."

"No" he snapped, "I was told that I could handle this my way. We're not traumatising the family any more than we…."

The elevator opened and…

Terror filled his heart.

* * *

Miranda stepped out, clear of Shepard and Garrus who were covering the Eclipse mercs.

Anger, confusion and grief all warred in her heart and she felt her reserves of self-control, her iron clad reserve fail.

"Miri..…." Niket said disbelieving.

"This should be fun" commented Enyala full of bravado levelling her shot gun at Miranda.

Instantly two pistols were pointing at her head.

Miranda ignored the Asari and trained her pistol on Niket.

The Asari dock supervisor was the first to react, she ran…

But not fast enough.

Enyala's shot gun boomed, cutting her down.

"Niket", said Miranda, her voice devoid of emotion, "You sold me out."

"What's the play Miranda" asked Shepard at her side.

She didn't responded, but carried on, her voice filling with the heartbreak that tore her up inside, "Why Niket. You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father."

"Yes because you wanted to leave" he snapped back, "That was your choice. But if I'd known you'd stolen a baby…."

"I didn't steal her" spat Miranda, "I rescued her."

"From a life of wealth and happiness?" asked Niket contemptuously, "You weren't saving her, you were getting back at your father."

"I've got no idea what his beef is but kidnapping kids, that's low even for Eclipse Captain" cut in Shepard.

"I'm not stealing anything, I'm returning stolen property" replied the Asari, "Niket I'm tired of playing games lets finish this bitch off and get out of here."

"Take your best shot" replied Miranda her eyes narrowing.

"I was just waiting for you to finish getting dressed" smirked the Asari, "Or does Cerberus really let you whore yourself around in that outfit."

Garrus growled, "You're really making it easy to not like you Captain" he said quietly

Shepard cut in, his voice calm but hard, "If Niket knows about Oriana your father does. Relocating her won't work."

Niket bowed his head, "Miranda's father has no information about Oriana."

Miranda exhaled, an empty sensation in her gut as she realised the implications.

"I knew you had spy programs in your fathers system Miri so I kept it private, I'm the only one who knows" he continued, digging his grave deeper.

She spoke, her voice thick with emotion but resolute, "That means you're the only lose end. This isn't how I wanted it to end Niket. I'm going to miss you….."

Suddenly Shepard was there, pulling her gun hand up and away,

"Miranda wait" he said softly, "You don't want to do this."

"This has to end here Shepard", she replied her voice cold and professional, "My father will keep trying to find Oriana."

"Not like this Miranda, killing him because you're angry will only hurt you", warned Shepard softly. "On the other hand _when_ Niket tells your father we got her first and Oriana's gone…."

Niket saw his chance of survival and grabbed it with both hands, "I'll…I'll tell him that you hid her. That I don't know where she is."

Miranda felt her rage building, "I never want to see you again Niket….

The bark of the shot gun cut her off.

"Done" said Enyala with a twisted smile. "Now if you don't mind I have shipment to deliver."

Miranda lost control and in a flash lashed out with her biotic power, grabbing the Asari and lifting her up. "You'll die for that bitch" she screamed and hit Enyala with a retina searing warp blast.

The Asari went flying and crashed into the opposite wall. She slid down and picked herself up, fast but clearly in some pain.

Miranda didn't stop she strode forward, her body wreathed in blue lightening towards the Asari, just as Eclipse mercs descended from all sides.

Miranda's barriers flared, she was under heavy fire, she didn't care.

That bitch was going to die.

She hit the Asari with a warp attack that sent her reeling with a curse. Miranda vaulted a crate, and ducked to avoid fire as it came hammering in.

Enyala twisted on the ground as Miranda opened fire, scrabbling backwards as her barriers flared. "Kill the bitch" she screamed and the Eclipse mercs poured fire into Miranda.

Suddenly Miranda came to her senses….she was trapped and exposed, under fire from three sides, rifles, SMGs, incineration blasts. She was about to die…..and Oriana would be taken to her evil bastard father.

* * *

Suddenly there was the bark of rifle fire and they were there at her shoulders, Shepard on her right, Garrus on her left, standing in the open, assault rifles spitting death at the Eclipse mercs.

Shepard's reactions were superhumanly fast, the adrenalin boost from his armour making his movements seem supernatural as he cleared her right flank of mercs. Garrus killed methodically and rapidly with a frightening economy of force. Between them they turned the tide…..

But they paid for it.

She saw an incineration blast miss the left side of Shepard's face by a whisker, burning his neck badly.

She saw a disruptor round punch through Garrus's shield and into his left shin. He went down onto one knee with a hoarse grunt of pain, killing his attacker with a high velocity shot.

She glanced back to her right, "Shepard…." she started.

"Miranda we've got this, nail that bitch" he snapped.

Miranda nodded and stepped up and forward.

Enyala staggered backwards wounded but she bought up her pistol and fired at Miranda.

Miranda ignored the bullets which glanced off her barriers, reached out with her biotics and grabbed the Asari. She lifted her up, helplessly into the air and with a triumphant snarl bought Enyala slamming back down, head first onto the ground.

There was a sickening crack as Enyala's snapped.

Miranda exhaled slowly at the effort of the strike brutal but she turned around, drawing up another biotic field…..but it was turned just in time to see the last Eclipse merc fall.

* * *

"We're clear", called James turning to Garrus.

"There could be more Eclipse mercs near the shuttle. I need to make sure Oriana and her family get on safely" Miranda said urgently.

Shepard gripped his friend's hand and hauled him up, "You good to go" he asked.

"As long as you don't need me to dance the mercs to death I'm fine" replied Garrus through gritted teeth as his armours systems dispensed medigel into his wound

Shepard nodded, "Miranda lead on, we've got your back."

* * *

As the elevator descended Miranda stared blankly at the floor, she felt numb.

Niket…..a traitor and now dead…one of the few constants in her life was gone.

"You alright" asked Shepard softly.

"I can't believe Niket sold me out. I didn't even see it coming" she replied hugging herself.

"News flash you're only human Miranda, even with all your upgrades just like the rest of us" he replied softly.

"But I let it get personal…..and I screwed up Shepard" she snapped angrily, "Why didn't you let me kill him. I could have handled that but watching him get gunned down by that Asari bitch…"

"Because you stilled cared for him even if he betrayed you and if you'd killed him his face would haunt you every time you close your eyes….trust me I know", replied Shepard his voice firm.

"You right" replied Miranda choking of a bitter laugh, "And my father knew it. He used that against me. It's always been like this. My father gave me anything I ever wanted but there was always a hook, an angle for his long term plan."

She turned around and looked at him angry, "I threw way everything he ever gave me when I ran. Except Niket. A weakness on my part."

"No…. weakness on his" replied Shepard softly, "He should have stuck with you….the fact he didn't says a lot about him…..the fact you didn't kill him for it says a lot about you."

He gave her a smile, "A woman who gave up everything to save a sister, who got burned trusting a friend….I kind of like the secrete Miranda."

She smiled in spite of everything, and nodded a few time, blinking way tears "She's worth it…all of it."

"Don't ever forget that" replied Shepard quietly from behind her.

* * *

"Garrus get high and cover us" ordered James as they came out into the open terminal.

"Done brother" replied Garrus as me moved off to their flank.

Shepard followed Miranda out as she surveyed the crowd worriedly.

"No sign of Eclipse, it looks like we're clear" she said glancing at him, then she froze.

"Do you see her" asked James, then he realised how stupid the question was.

"There she is" said Miranda softly, "She's safe…with her family."

James caught light of a tall, slim teenage girl, her hair was short…..not a carbon copy of Miranda exactly but it wasn't hard to imagine in a few years they might look very similar.

She was smiling, he glanced at Miranda and realised she was to…..an expression of tortured happiness.

Then she bowed her head and closed her eyes, "Come on. We should go."

James looked at her incredulous, "Come again, we just got here…..don't you want to say hi?"

"It's not about what I want" replied Miranda rounding on him, "It's what's right for her. The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family, a life. I'd just complicate that for her."

James shook his head, "Miranda…..have you any idea what I'd give to stand where you do now….to have a family, a sister. Screw the complications you've just fought your way through an army for her...don't you think you should at least speak to her, god forbid let her decide if she wants to know you."

"Miranda blinked and looked away, "I…I don't think….."

'This must terrify you', thought James. 'You're a control freak; you meticulously plan everything, something like this that you're not ready for…..ouch'

"Look she doesn't need to know the whole story and I'm sure she'll be confused", James said his tone soft. "But put yourself in her shoes, would you really hate to learn that you had a sister out there who loves you?"

Miranda looked back at Oriana, her eyes shining with tears, "I guess not" she replied her voice shaking, "But what about…"

"You have an N-7 and a pissed off Turian sniper watching your back Miranda" said James with a smile, "Go on, take your time, nothing's getting past us."

Hesitantly Miranda began to walk over to her sister, James lent against the wall, watching her back.

* * *

Fear gripped Miranda's heart as she walked forward.

This was a bad idea, all her years of careful control…..of disassociation….of keeping her distance….all to keep Oriana insulated…..she should turn around and walk away.

She kept walking, Shepard's words wringing in her ear.

Oriana looked up as she approached, her parents were talking in the background and she watched as Miranda got closer.

"Hi…" Miranda said her voice shaking.

"Hi" replied Oriana tilting her head with curiosity, "Are….are you ok."

Miranda, "Yes I…..yes thank you…..can I speak to you for a second."

Oriana glanced at her parents, "Sure….sorry do I know you."

Miranda felt the lump in her throat, "No…but we met a long time ago."

* * *

James let his eyes roam over the terminal hunting for threats, every few seconds glancing back at Miranda where she was now sitting talking with Oriana.

He was making sure no one snuck up on her while she was distracted.

He really was.

It had nothing to do with the warm smile of pure, unadulterated happiness on Miranda's face.

It wasn't at all that she was actually laughing with joy for the first time since he'd met her.

Defiantly not...

* * *

Several hours and numerous cups of coffee later Miranda left Oriana with her parents and walked back to join them, her deep blue eyes shining with tears of happiness.

James didn't say anything, he just fell into step behind her as they walked to the elevator, Garrus joining them there as they stepped inside.

Miranda's eyes were fixed on Oriana, who was gazing happily at her sister and grinning.

A smile played across Miranda's lips and her tear stained cheeks were radiant with joy.

Oriana disappeared from view as the doors closed but the smile stayed put.

James lent back against the wall, he let Miranda have her moment and for a long while they stood in silence.

"By the way Shepard" said Garrus quietly.

"Mmmh" replied James not really listening, focusing on Miranda.

"Remind me to never use anything but the most glowing forms of praise when talking about Miranda's clothes", said Garrus softly.

There was a long pause…..

James couldn't help it, he let out a chuckle….

Miranda glanced over her shoulder and gave him an ice cold glare…which wavered…shifted…and dissolved into a wry smile, her eyes flashing with humour.

Shepard grinned back, "Welcome to my world" he said reaching out and giving her shoulder a squeeze.

She didn't pull away.


	14. Chapter 14: Friends at last

**CH: 14 Friends at last.**

**Normandy SR-2: (Illium).**

Jacob Taylor was not having a good day.

He'd been left in charge of a ship full of lunatics docked in Illium while first Miranda, then Shepard, then Garrus had left to go somewhere.

He'd been on his own for five hours…..and he'd aged about five years.

So when EDI informed him all three of them were returning he when out on to the dock, wanting to know what the hell had kept them.

But when he saw them the words died in his throat.

Garrus was limping badly, heavily favouring his right leg and his left one was covered in dried blood staining his armour.

Shepard had a huge red welt covering the left side of his neck, a burn mark.

Miranda was unhurt but seemed to be tired and drained.

But they were smiling….all of them.

* * *

"Here we are, home sweet home", joked Shepard.

"About damn time, my leg is killing me" muttered Garrus.

"We're you always this much of a winging bastard or did I just desensitise when I was dead" asked Shepard.

Garrus glared at him, "You see Miranda, you see what I have to put up with, not only does he steal all the glory but he ignores my stoic determination."

"I notice Garrus" she replied softly, "However if he wasn't here I'd be the mission commander and you would have to take orders from me directly."

Garrus paused and seemed to consider this, "Well I'm up for it if you are" he replied.

"Aren't mutinies normally planned in secrete" asked Shepard as they approached the airlock.

"What the hell happened to you guys" asked Jacob sounding worried.

"Eclipse started some trouble with a friend of mine" replied Shepard, "Me and Garrus decided to end it and Miranda decided we couldn't be trusted without adult supervision."

They had decided to go with this as a cover story…..for some reason Miranda and Garrus both thought the crew would find this believable.

Jacob shook his head, "Damn Shepard…..don't you ever take a day off work."

Shepard grinned, "You call this work...hell I'd do this for free."

* * *

Miranda went with them and watched as Chakwas gave them both hell about their injuries, needless to say they treated the whole thing as a game.

The gunshot wounds, the contusions, Shepard's burnt neck, Garrus's injured leg.

She couldn't stay. She went back to the privacy of her office to try and deal with the emotional tempest inside her.

Relief it had gone so well.

Grief about Niket.

Fear at what she now had…..and could lose.

Guilt at Shepard and Garrus, spending the night in the infirmary.

Anger at herself for being so cold to both of them all this time.

Disbelief that they'd stood beside her and taken a beating without a second thought to save a girl they'd never met.

And above all…..happiness. Complete, all-consuming happiness that almost completely swamped everything else.

She hadn't missed Oriana...you can't miss something you've never had and she'd been better off that way, nothing to lose, no weakness for someone to exploit….so she'd thought.

No she hadn't missed her….but there'd been this huge emotional gulf inside her that she didn't even know existed…..and now was filled with warmth for his sister.

She sat at her desk and tried to work, tried to block out the feelings she didn't know how to process.

Miranda was rational to a fault, she knew that she now had something good in her life, something she could lose, something that could be taken from her, or held over her. It should terrify her.

So why did it feel so good.

* * *

James waited until the next evening to speak to Miranda. His neck was more or less healed after the doctor's careful ministrations. Garrus was also close to back to normal, he was still favouring his right leg slightly but would be fine in a day or two.

He had wanted to give Miranda time to try and come to terms with everything before pestering her, and he hadn't seen her around the Normandy all day. He had however had an interesting conversation with Kasumi, shortly before dinner when, while touring the ship he'd looked in on her.

"Hey Shep, have you spoken to Miri yet."

James shook his head, "Not recently Kas, why is something up?"

Kasumi looked at him very hard from under her hood, "You should, I can't imagine what she's going through. After what she went through with her father…my heart goes out to her and her sister."

Shepard froze, he turned and very softly spoke to her, "Kasumi how do you know about that."

The thief gave him a look, "Shep where do you think I went after I left you and Garrus. I knew something was up and I heard Eclipse we're moving so I hacked their feed….unfortunately I was too far out to get to you in time to help."

Shepard looked at her and spoke, his voice quiet but hard, "Ok Kasumi this is not something that goes any further. I want you to you tell Miranda you know then forget it."

Kasumi started, "Hey Shep come on…."

"Not open for discussion Kas" James replied firmly, "This is something that has the potential to hurt Miranda and it is not going to go any further, do I make myself clear on this."

Kasumi held up her hands, "Okay, okay Shep I'll talk to Miri, buy you should to."

James nodded, "Yeah maybe your right."

Kasumi rolled her eyes, "Maybe…..Shep just trust me on this, go talk to her."

James nodded, "Alright Kas, I'll see you later."

"Shep….." she called after him.

He paused, "Yeah" he replied.

"You're not the only one who cares for her you know…I'm on her side", James glanced over his shoulder.

"Thank you Kas, that's good to know."

* * *

James knocked on her door and went in, finding Miranda at her desk.

"Hey Miranda….have you got a minute" he asked.

"Shepard, yes of course" she replied looking up, her tone serious, "I wanted to say thanks again for taking the time to help my sister", she looked away, "I couldn't have reached Oriana in time without your help."

"Miranda don't mention it" said Shepard with a shrug.

"No Shepard I….", she began but he interrupted gently.

"Miranda, seriously don't mention it. You don't owe me anything or Garrus. If you wanted to thank him then you could always slip him a bottle of Turian brandy, that'll keep him sweet. As for me, it's not often I get to go to bed knowing I definitely did something that was good, no down side, but trust me I slept well last night."

He lent on the back of the chair facing her, "Anyway enough about me, how are you doing?"

She looked away again, stood and walked to the window looking out into the black of space. "I'm glad I let Niket redeem himself….for all the good it did. Thank you for stopping me Shepard."

James walked over and let against the bulkhead on the opposite side of the window, "I didn't do it for him, I did it for you Miranda."

Miranda glanced at him and looked away. James sighed and carried on, "Miranda I'm glad you've forgiven him and I'm really glad you didn't kill him but I've got to tell you, he wasn't what I'd call a friend."

She looked at him sadly, "After I lied to him….."

"That shouldn't matter" cut in Shepard gently. "You didn't betray him, you did nothing to hurt him, you kept a secret. All friends keep secretes, sometimes it's justified, sometimes it's not."

"That's easy for you say Shepard" she replied sadly, "But you're an honest person….I'm not. Are you really telling me if I lied to you like that you wouldn't be angry."

"Of course I'd be angry" replied James softly, "I'd be mad as hell. I'd want to know why you didn't trust me, what you got me into…..but I'd give you the benefit of the doubt, I'd certainly listen to your side of the story and I would never, ever betray you to your enemies."

Gently he reached out and squeezed her arm, "Miranda…there is a difference between being totally honest and being loyal. The first one is nice and it's always hurts when somebody isn't but the second one, that's non-negotiable, it's a given, it's what friends do."

She looked at him sadly, "I wouldn't really know Shepard, friend's just seem to be a weakness for me, a way I can be manipulated."

He gave her a small smile, "Then you need better friends and until you find them you can make do with me. You're wrong about friendship. You're not wrong about much but you're wrong about that. It's not a weakness, not when it's real, it's your greatest strength. I mean think about it, because you trusted your friends you not only saved your sister you got two people who will go to the wall to protect her anytime, anywhere."

She looked at him and smiled a little more happily…and he realised he was still holding her arm.

He let go quickly, "So…anyway…..how's Oriana."

"Good I think" replied Miranda quickly glancing back into the room.

"Are you happy about her relocation" asked Shepard.

Miranda nodded and for the first time since he'd entered the room she smiled properly, "She has what I wanted her to have, a normal life and the freedom to choose her own path."

Her smile widened, "And now she knows she has a sister…a friend."

"How did the conversation go" asked James.

"It was possibly the most scared I've ever been in my life" admitted Miranda, "I had nothing prepared, I started off feeling like an awkward idiot….I didn't know what to say and her family were just shocked, not the first impression I would have chosen to make."

"So it didn't go well?" asked James.

"No it did…in fact it was the best conversation of my life" she replied her smile getting bigger. "She adjusted quickly, of course and started just talking. She's as smart as I am. She plays the violin. She loves the adagio movement of Nielsen's Firth, just like I do. She wants to work in colony development. Told a joke about it, she's very funny…..something we don't share."

James gave a snort of laughter, "I don't think that's true, your sense of humour's kind of like a martini…..very dry and a bit of an acquired taste but once you get used to it, it can be great fun under the right circumstances" replied Shepard with a wink.

Miranda rolled her eyes, "About time….I was starting to get worried, you'd gone almost five minutes without making a wise crack."

"Hang on.…let me get the cocktail olives" countered James with a grin.

Miranda gave him a glare, which was ruined by the wry smile, "Shepard, thank you for convincing me to talk to her."

"It was long overdue" replied Shepard.

"Yes" agreed Miranda, "But I only see that now, it's more than I could ever have imagined."

"So are you going to stay in touch with Oriana" asked James.

"I don't know" she replied, "For the first time in a long time I don't have a plan. I'll deal with it after the mission, I have to stay focused. We can't afford any more distractions."

Shepard gave her a funny look, "What you say makes sense and feel free to ignore my advice, god knows the source is suspect, but…..I think you should say 'screw what makes sense' and keep talking to Oriana."

"Why" asked Miranda sounding curious.

James shrugged, "I don't know….maybe because you'll have less time to nag me, or maybe it's because this is the first time I've seen you smile for more than a millisecond and I like seeing you smile."

He froze, shocked….did he really say that….he did like seeing her smile but not because…

Miranda flicked an amused gaze at him, "Tell me did that sound as clichéd when you said it in your head."

"I never say things in my head Miranda" replied James, "Life's to short."

"How about it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt" countered Miranda lightly with a grin.

James snorted, "Please, we both know that ship has sailed a long time ago."

Miranda looked at him appraisingly, she moved closer to him and cocked an eyebrow, "You know Shepard I can't help thinking his is partly an act. You play the reckless, carefree, immature idiot. Very convincingly I might add."

"Why thank you", replied James with a rueful smile.

She flashed him a smile, "But under it….you have very impressive insight Shepard, I didn't expect that."

She reached out and for a second Shepard wondered what she was doing…then he realised.

She traced her fingers over his chest for a second before pulling away with a regretful expression, "The missions to important to let personal interfere."

James's eyebrows made a break for the ceiling.

"But thank you Shepard, because of you my sister is safe again thanks in large part to you. I wont forget that."

Miranda turned and immediately was all business, sitting down at her desk and getting back to work. Shepard decided discretion was the better part of valour and quickly retreated.

* * *

James walked into the port observation lounge.

"Hey Shep…you ok" asked Kasumi.

"Kas I need a drink" he replied sitting down.

She poured him a drink…..then at his gesture poured more and more into the glass.

"Is everything alright Shep, is Miri okay" asked Kasumi.

"Yeah she's good, really good I think…..I on the other hand may have concussion...I have no idea what just happened."

* * *

Miranda looked at the screen hard and tired running the last few minutes back in her head.

Why the hell had she done that.

Maybe she was just unconsciously reciprocating Shepard's gestures of comfort, after all he'd touched her first, his hand on her arm…..which for some reason had tingled at his touch.

Or maybe it was just a reaction to the emotional turmoil of the last few hours, her primitive instinct to seek out and touch the person who'd helped her.

Or maybe it was just a physical manifestation of her desire for succour and comfort after the painful memories that had been raked up over the last couple of days.

Yes that was it, knowing her weaknesses had always been one of her strengths and recent events had certainly exposed some of those. She must have unconsciously turned to Shepard out of a momentary weakness and desire for support.

Yes that was why she'd done it…..it made perfect sense.

She decided to clear her mind and focus on something else.

* * *

Garrus was in the forward battery working on the cannons infrared scanner when the doors hissed open to reveal Miranda.

"Garrus can I speak to you" she asked.

"Sure….just bear with me one second while I finish this calibration" he replied tapping out the last sequence of numbers.

He turned to her and noticed she looked…..more relaxed, more open, happier…..Garrus sensed James Shepard at work.

"What can I do for you Miranda" asked Garrus.

"I wanted to say thank you and to give you this" she replied producing a bottle from behind her back and handing it over, "Shepard mentioned you might like it" she explained.

Garrus took the bottle, "Thanks, you didn't have to Miranda Shepard just wants someone to drink with him"

Miranda shrugged, "I wanted to get you something, how's your leg."

"Sore but I'll be fine" replied Garrus, "How's your sister."

"She's doing well, thank you" replied Miranda.

"Any time, thanks for the bottle this is good" he said with a smile. Then he took a closer look, "In fact this is very good….spirits this is…" he looked up at Miranda incredulous, "Miranda…..there are maybe…_maybe_, fifty bottles of this in existence, how did you…."

She shrugged and lent against the rail, "I wanted to thank you and I don't do things by half measures Garrus, I settle for nothing but the best."

Garrus looked down at the bottle and laughed, "Well the thanks aren't necessary, any time Miranda."

"Oh okay….I'll take the bottle back then" she replied.

He glanced up and saw she was grinning, "Dream on" he replied returning the grin, then winced and closed his eyes, "Oh no….no….it's happening again."

"What" asked Miranda curious.

"I'm starting to like you…..spirits curse James Shepard how does he always do this, first Wrex now you." He glared at her, "My mind's like your uniform, black and white. It was so much easier to deal with you when you were a heartless, xenophobic terrorist not a woman with feelings and loyalty to her family that I admire."

Miranda shrugged, "I could always throw some racial slurs your way if that would make you feel better" she replied with hint of a smile.

"Would you, thanks that would be great" replied Garrus smiling back.

He looked at her seriously, "Miranda I don't agree with what you stand for, I don't like what you represent and I will stop you if you act like the Cerberus operatives I've met before. But I trust you enough to be honest about my misgivings."

Miranda nodded, "Garrus I believe the Turian Hierarchy is a potential threat to my species, I don't like living with the sword of Damocles dangling over my head and I will not stop advancing humanities cause because I'm good at it and because someone needs to. But I trust you with the biggest and most important secrete in my life and in return I will never abuse any trust you place in me."

Garrus nodded and smiled, "Good enough for me, I'd suggest we open this bottle but this is dextro and while I would enjoy knocking this back you defiantly wouldn't."

Miranda smiled, "I have to get back to work anyway but thanks Garrus….oh and if you 'knock back' that bottle instead of savouring it I will show you what a bitch I can be when I really try."

Garrus grinned, "Well good to see some things never change."

* * *

It hadn't been the most productive of days but it was going reasonably well, until Miranda got back to her office and opened the link to Shepard's email.

And saw the email from Oriana to Shepard.

Oh bloody hell...

* * *

**From: Oriana (Lawson)**

**I hope this is the right Commander Shepard. I'm Oriana. My sister only told me a little, but I don't think it occurred to her that I'm as smart as she is. I poked around a little and found an information broker who got me this address.**

**I got to thank her, but I never got to thank you for helping me. My parents don't really understand it, but I know how much Miranda did, how many little things over the years were her looking out for me. I'm not going to tell them. I still want to go to school and get some degrees. But I wanted you to know that I know you saved me.**

**I had a guardian angel all these years. I don't know if my sister has anybody. She said she's working for you, and it was pretty clear that you were doing something dangerous. Make sure she comes back alive, okay?**

**-Oriana**

**PS: Don't tell her I sent you this. It would just make her angry.**

**PPS: Miranda, quit looking at Shepard's messages. Oh, don't act like you don't. It's what I'd do.**

* * *

Miranda glared at the screen. What had Oriana done…..when Shepard saw this he was going to explode. She'd seen how he'd reacted when he felt the Illusive Man had betrayed him on Horizon and he'd never gotten Shepard and his best friend wounded doing a personal favor.

Her fingers danced over the keys as she started to hack the system, to get in and delete the email and block Oriana from Shepard's account.

Then she saw Shepard's response go out.

* * *

**Oriana,**

**Yeah this is me, sorry we never met face to face but you had someone much more important to talk to than me. Your sister doesn't miss much but I guess she's not used to dealing with people on the same intellectual plane (FYI this certainly doesn't include me, I get by on my looks).**

**I would have done what I did anyway, but your sister is the reason I'm walking and talking, she's very important to me and because you're very important to her I couldn't not help. That said I didn't really do much. Miranda saved you, me and a friend just helped her out a bit.**

**Hmm Miranda's sister is extraordinarily perceptive….now there's a surprise ;), your sister cares very deeply for you and I know she'd want you to fulfil your dreams so enjoy school. **

**Truth is your sister takes care of me, of all of us (although if she ever heard me say that she would kill me). She keeps us safe and on track and we'll damn well make sure to watch her back. She is coming back Oriana, I look after my friends.**

**James Shepard.**

**PS. I won't, you take care talking to information brokers, don't trust them.**

**PPS. Miranda don't give your sister a hard time…..what, you really think I hadn't guessed?**

* * *

Miranda sat back and glared at the screen.

She was angry.

She was defiantly angry, with Oriana….with Shepard…..

So was why she grinning?

Damn it she had to get rid of this good mood.

She tried thinking hard about all the annoying things Shepard did, usually this rapidly resulted in a migraine headache.

This time…..it didn't.


	15. Chapter 15: Friendly Advice

**Note: **I was going to include this as part of the next chapter but as I was re-typing it following a soul destroying computer crash I decided it worked well on its own.

As ever feedback greatly appreciated, I'm having fun with this and I hope you all are.

* * *

**CH:15: Friendly Advice.**

**Normandy SR-2: (Illium).**

The next few days on the Normandy were unusual, subtle changes had started to occur.

Kelly Cambers noticed it first in her second role as the ships psychologist.

Normally around 30-40% of the complaints she heard related to the XO, 'Ice Queen', 'Cold, 'Robot' and 'Bitch' were all common.

Over the last few days the number of complaints had dropped by half, and they were changing to.

It wasn't that Miranda was any more tolerant of failings, or any more circumspect in pointing them out. But she did seem to have stopped reducing people to a white, shaking bag of nerves just to make her point.

Kelly wondered what had led to the XO's new positive approach, she thought about asking…and then changed her mind. She had no desire to test the limits of Officer Lawson's new found good mood.

* * *

For Miranda the days following the rescue of her sister were strange. Subtlety things had started to change.

The most obvious one was that Shepard and Garrus had dropped the use of her last name completely and were now only calling her Miranda. Normally she would have found this insulting but she recognised that with them it wasn't disrespectful, just an indication that they were comfortable around her. It wasn't the way she would have done things but she was prepared to play it their way for now.

They were starting to work together better as a team on missions. Her clinical focus, planning and objective based approach complimenting Shepard's intuitive, improvisational style of working. On the mission to recruit the assassin Thane Krios this was very effective, allowing Shepard to focus on quickly and cleanly eliminating the opposition and saving the civilians from being gunned down, with Miranda keeping track of the mission objectives and the assassins progress, allowing them to choose the path of least resistance.

Maybe it was Shepard's influence but she found herself angry at the Eclipse mercs for gunning down the Salarians. Previously she would have dismissed them as a distraction but after having seen Eclipse chasing Oriana she found herself getting angry at the thought of the families who were going to be left broken by the mercs actions.

However she was above all a professional and she did her job to perfection and killed the mercs coolly, calmly and with a minimum of wasted effort. Still if Krios hadn't killed his target, she would have.

Shepard continued to drop by and make small talk with her and even thought it was a distraction she found herself not hating it. It had taken her a while for her to realise that this wasn't him micromanaging his team, but wanting to get to know them better. He barely talked about work, and when h did he wanted to hear about what people thought not how they were progressing with their tasks.

Miranda had confronted him about this on one of his visits and he'd inevitably shrugged it off with a joke. "I have an XO who's so organised and efficient she basically renders me superfluous except for getting shot at. I've got to do something to pass the time otherwise I get very bored and that's never a good thing."

Miranda had also decided to take Shepard advice, a phrase she'd never thought she'd use, even in her head, and continue talking to Oriana. Partly because she wanted to make it clear to Oriana how angry she was about her sister emailing Shepard and how dangerous end inappropriate this was. Partly because she did want to keep talking to her sister, it made her happy and while she was still getting used to this she wanted it to continue.

The telling off of her sister did not go to plan.

Oriana was totally unintimidated by her and found it sweet that she cared; Miranda's threats didn't faze her slightly and even ended up calling her sister 'Randa'. Miranda wasn't sure if this was better worse than Miri and wasn't about make a rod for her own back by founding out.

She did try calling her sister 'Ori' to make the point about how irritating nicknames were. This did not go to plan either, her sister thought it was cute and immediately decided she liked it.

She also thought that Miranda's concern for her contacting Shepard was cute and promised she wouldn't tread on Miranda's toes.

Miranda put this down to youthful immaturity. Oriana might be as smart as her but she was still a teenager and saw all relationships, professional or personal, through a cocktail of teenage hormones, it was no surprise she would miss read the situation.

In spite of all of this however the conversation was great, Miranda was enjoying it more than she thought possible, she found herself smiling for no reason other than she was thinking about her sister.

It was however a little one way, Miranda didn't have much experience in small talk. She could give advice on school work, degree pathways, career options, finically requirements. But movies, music, vacations…Miranda had never taken a vacation in her life. Her experience of being a sister up until now consisted of covert observation, subtle long distance assistance and the occasional wet work operation when her father's agents got to close.

She needed advice and to practice talking to people in an unguarded way. She thought about talking to Shepard about it, but he was still her superior and her mission and he didn't need the distraction. Besides he'd taken Garrus and Jacob to go and talk to Liara T'Soni to try and track down Samara, the Asari Justicar they wanted to recruit to the team. Then she had a thought.

* * *

Kasumi looked up when Miranda walked into the port observation lounge, "Hey Miri" she said brightly.

"Don't call me that" replied Miranda, "I need to talk to you."

Kasumi smiled, "Great, actually I need to talk to you anyway…..I know about your sister Miri."

Miranda shrugged, "I know you know Kasumi."

Kasumi looked back, "You know" she asked incredulously.

"I knew about ten minutes after you started tracking us, I just had bigger problems at the time" replied Miranda with a smirk.

"So how come your not freaking out" asked Kasumi.

Miranda shrugged, "You don't know where she is and while you could probably find out I would defiantly find out if you tried. You're not stupid, you know how far I'm prepared to go to protect her so you won't try, therefore you're not a threat."

Kasumi held up her hands, "Okay, okay Miri I take the point…so what did you want to talk to me about."

Miranda looked away feeling self-conscious, "I'm not very good at small talk involving conventional interests. Up until now this has not been an issue but now….."

"Sure I can help with that, but my time is precious and doesn't come cheap" replied Kasumi smiling.

Miranda raised an eyebrow and gestured round the room, "We are surrounded by antiquities worth enough to purchase a small ship. Not to mention those treasures you have hidden away, you know like that da Vinci painting with the smile."

Kasumi's eyebrows shot up, "How did you know about that."

"Your trade is stolen goods, my trade is information and I'm very good at what I do" replied Miranda with a smirk, "My point is what do I have that you could possibly want."

"Impeccable taste, I need someone to drink cocktails with" replied Kasumi with a grin, "The boys are fun to drink with but they drink by quantity not quality. I need someone who understands that what defines a cocktail is not its colour. That's my price take it leave it."

Miranda sighed, she hadn't come here to drink.

Kasumi saw her expression and her grin broadened, "How about I sweeten the deal by appealing to your competitive side. You chose a cocktail and I'll make it for you, perfectly. If I get it right then you have to talk to me honestly about your life."

Miranda's eyes narrowed, "Who decides if it's perfect."

"You do Miri" replied Kasumi, "If you can lie to me then you deserve to win. Do we have a deal?"

Miranda paused, probably not a good idea but she had finished all her work for today…and tomorrow…and most of the following day and maybe she could turn this to her advantage. She finally nodded, "Deal but if I win then you tell me how you keep getting into my office."

Kasumi nodded, getting up and heading to the bar, "Ok so what are we having" she asked.

Miranda followed, leaning on the bar her eyes narrowing again, "White Russian, fresh cream, chilled but no ice and Tia Maria not Kahlúa" she replied with a smirk.

Kasumi grinned back, "A smart choice Miri, you're thinking there's no way I can have fresh cream out here…however you forgot one thing. This is me."

As she spoke she produced a bottle from behind the bar, Miranda raised an eyebrow, "How did you get that out here" she asked.

"Please Miri I don't ask you to reveal your sources" replied Kasumi as she started to mix the drinks, "So there's something I've been meaning to ask you, where did you learn to speak Japanese."

Miranda smiled bitterly, "When I was a little girl, virtually from the moment I learned to talk my father decided to encourage me to learn other languages, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, French, Latin. He had a very comprehensive approach, I was surrounded for weeks at a time by people who only spoke the language in question and I was expected to use it perfectly. One word in the wrong language and I was lucky if all I got was a beating and no dinner. Then when I was fluent in reading, writing and speaking he'd switch to a new language and the whole process would start again."

Kasumi winced, "Damn, Miranda your father is a first class son of a bitch. I can't believe how together you turned out. Most girls who'd been through a tenth of what you have wouldn't be drinking their vodka in a Russian White."

Miranda's stance hardened a little, "I don't let it define me. My father hurt me, but he didn't break me. As much as he tried to turn me into exactly what he wanted I'm my own person and I chose my own path" she replied fiercely.

"Which is great, you're strong and I love that but it doesn't hurt to look back occasionally", replied Kasumi adding the vodka.

"Why would I want to" asked Miranda.

"To see how far you've come, you should be proud of what you've done by yourself" said Kasumi. "Look at what you've achieved, you bought back Shepard and gave me hours of fun tormenting him. I mean you were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth but you gave up everything you were given except your sister."

"I didn't get given my sister, I took her from a monster" replied Miranda coldly, then her voice softened slight, "But you may be right."

"When it comes to people I usually am" replied Kasumi handing her the drink, "Here you go, to absent fathers, may they stay that way."

Miranda clinked glasses and drank…..damn it, it was perfect.

"So how's the drink Miri" asked Kasumi.

"Terrible" replied Miranda stony faced.

"You're lying" replied Kasumi sweetly.

"Damn it, yes I am" relied Miranda looking away with a scowl, "It's very good" she replied.

"Ha I win", said Kasumi with a grin, "So tell me, are you talking to you sister."

Miranda put the glass down and nodded, "Yes, a few times now."

"How's that going" asked Kasumi.

"Honestly, great, really great" replied Miranda with a rueful smile.

"Careful Miri you're smiling, you might pull a muscle" grinned Kasumi with a wink.

"I just never know what to talk to her about" admitted Miranda her smile getting broader, "I can't tell her about work and I don't have much else in my life."

"Does she mind?" asked Kasumi.

"No….that's just it she just likes talking, she doesn't demand anything of me and that's nice, sort of like when I talk to Shepa….."

Miranda caught herself but too late, Kasumi was ginning ear to ear, "Miri are you blushing" she asked sweetly.

"No and don't go there, damn it talking to my sister is making me careless. I swear Kasumi I need to get out of this good mood, how am I going to project an image of authority and indifference to adversity if I'm smiling like it's my sweet sixteenth" asked Miranda sitting down, trying and failing to get rid of the grin.

Suddenly the door open and Jacob walked in, "Miranda can I speak to you" he asked.

"Sorry Jacob girls only tonight" replied Kasumi, "The only men allowed in here are dancers, so get your shirt off."

Jacob paused, "Uh….no and I really need to talk to Miranda.

Miranda smiled, "Ok Jacob what's so important."

"Shepard and Garrus got arrested."

* * *

Miranda turned around and looked at Jacob, "What happened" she asked slowly.

"We found the Justicar after she took out a warehouse full of Eclipse mercs but this Asari detective showed up and had been ordered to arrest the Justicar."

"Makes sense I imagine the Illium authorities aren't happy having a loose cannon rolling around out there, but how did Shepard and Garrus get arrested" asked Miranda.

"Well the Justicar said she would go with the detective but only for a little while, then she'd have to kill her and leave. Shepard thought the detectives bosses were to blame for putting her in this situation so he went back and him and Garrus tried to…talk with her boss and the discussion got animated."

"Oh god" groaned Miranda.

"Yeah, some things were said and the woman ordered the cops to arrest Shepard and Garrus" finished Jacob.

Miranda closed her eyes, sighed deeply and counted to five in her head, "Yes, that did it. My good mood is official dead" she replied coldly.

"What do you want to do" asked Jacob.

Miranda finished her drink and put the glass back on the table. "Jacob I need to know exactly, word for word what Shepard and Garrus said, then go and get Mr Krios. EDI I need everything we have on Illium criminal law. Kasumi you'll be coming with us. First though I'm going to need another one of those."

Kasumi looked at the glass and grinned, "Right away Officer Lawson" she replied reaching for the bottle.


	16. Chapter 16: To the Rescue

**CH: 16: To the Rescue**

**Illium Police HQ:**

Miranda walked into the police station her eyes cold, her face set in a cold expression, her eyes hard and searching, looking for the source of her annoyance. Behind her she had Jacob, Kassumi and Thane Krios.

"I'm not comfortable here Miri" whispered Kassumi.

"Control your kleptomania for five minutes and you'll be fine" replied Miranda.

"Easier said than done" commented Kasumi.

Miranda scanned the room, full of hassled looking cops, mostly Asari and disconsolate looking criminals of every species. Then over in a corner she saw Shepard and Garrus handcuffed but otherwise unhurt, sitting in front of a particularly stressed looking cop, there was an Asari wearing red armour perched on the cops desk. Miranda jerked her head at them, "Let's go and get them."

"I'm glad they appear to be unharmed" commented Thane.

"Wait until I'm finished with them" replied Miranda.

She caught the gaze of a drunken prisoner sitting in front of a cops desk, his hands cuffed, positively drooling over her arse. She gave him a glare which made him quale, shrinking under her gaze. She didn't speak, just held him with her ice cold stare then dismissed him with a flick of her head, he looked away quickly.

Miranda walked towards Shepard and Garrus, keeping calm, 'You are going to suffer for bringing me down here Shepard' she silently promised herself.

* * *

"Don't look now brother but here comes the cavalry to break us out" cracked Shepard with a grin as they approached, "Thank god you're here Miranda, I was really worried. I'm far to pretty to go to prison."

"No you're not" commented Garrus grinning.

"Shut up both of you" ordered Miranda coolly glancing at the cop, "I apologies for their antics detective they were not given enough attention as children."

The detective looked up at her, "Are you their advocate" she asked.

"I'm thinking about it" replied Miranda.

"Who are they" asked the detective pointing to the others.

"The men are security, she's my PA" replied Miranda gesturing at her companions.

"Since when" asked Kasumi.

"Since you gave up your wayward lifestyle which I will refrain from mentioning" replied Miranda. Kasumi wisely decided to shut up.

Miranda turned back to the cop, "My name is Miranda Lawson and I'm the advocate for these two…..individuals, what have you arrested my clients for" she asked.

The Asari nodded, "Detective Anaya. They were arrested for disturbing the peace, threatening n officer of the law and criminal slander" she replied.

"Hang on" said Garrus confused, "Miranda you're a lawyer?"

"No I was never called to the bar" clarified Miranda.

"Uhh Ms Lawson your clients cannot claim they weren't properly represented after choosing you as their advocate if you're not qualified" explained the detective cautiously.

"Are _you_ worried about my qualifications Shepard?" Miranda asked him dangerously.

"Let me put your mind at rest detective, I have honours degrees in law from Harvard and Oxford with a thesis on intergalactic law and have been published in law review several times" she continued, keeping her face carefully composed.

"I've also passed the bar exam on earth in the United North American States, the European Union and the equivalent on the Citadel meaning I could be licenced to practice anywhere in council space. I simply have never applied to join the bar."

Garrus shivered, "I'm working with the powers of darkness, I mean Cerberus fine I can take that no problem, but an ex-cop should not be working with a lawyer. I don't know if I can look at you anymore Miranda."

"Shut up" ordered Miranda coldly, "Now tell me exactly what happened."

"It wasn't our fault" put in Shepard.

"That's true, it was entirely your fault", added Garrus.

"As your legal advocate I strongly advise you both that continuing to talk garbage may result in severe injuries" commented Miranda coolly.

"We don't brutalise our prisoners Ms Lawson" cut in Anaya coldly.

"No but I might" replied Miranda, causing the detective to smile.

Miranda turned back to Shepard and Garrus, "Now tell me did you two idiots say or do anything outside of the station that could be construed as illegal."

Shepard and Garrus exchanged glances and then looked at her incredulously.

"This evening" clarified Miranda.

"Uh….no, don't think so" replied Shepard.

"We defiantly didn't" clarified Garrus his C-sec training kicking in.

Miranda nodded, "Right then Detective I have read this transcript of the conversation during which my clients alleged infractions took place, you were a witness I believe, would you say its accurate."

The detective looked over the data pad and handed it back to her, "That seems to be accurate yes."

Miranda nodded, "So in summation my clients suggested your superior was criminally incompetent, unable discharge their duties due to a low IQ and spent a great deal of time in their office performing acts which while not technically illegal on Illium would generally be considered socially unacceptable."

The detective nodded, "Yes that's a reasonable summation" she replied.

Miranda spread her hands with a butter wouldn't melt expression, "Well there you are detective, it's a simple miss communication."

"I don't follow" replied Anaya.

Miranda's smile would have made a shark proud, "My clients were not here to threaten your superior, on the contrary they were here to do their civic duty. They believed your superior was in criminal breach of his responsibilities and came to the police to report their suspicions to the proper authorities in accordance with Illium ordinance JX-4341. Any offence taken can be put down to cultural differences."

Detective Anaya stared, "You can't be serious" she spluttered.

"I'm totally serious detective" replied Miranda.

"You….you want me to tell my superior that…..that they were accusing her of…..those things and you want us to investigate" stammered the detective.

"I'm afraid so detective. If your investigations prove the accusations are baseless then your boss could in theory charge my clients with wasting police time under Section four, Sub section nine of the Illium criminal code. However your boss would inevitably be facing a law suit for wrongful arrest and harassment which I would win and even if I didn't the publicity would be catastrophic for Illium. The Asari gateway to the terminus systems, arresting humans for doing their civic duties. The press would eat your boss alive."

Miranda looked at the detectives discomfort and knew she'd won, now to give the detective a way out, "Or my clients could quietly withdraw their accusations, you could let them go and we could all get on with our lives."

"By the spirits the power of a lawyer turned to good" whispered Garrus theatrically, "It's like watching a vampire with a soul."

"What did I say about shutting up" asked Miranda.

The detective knew she was out of options, "Alright in exchange for your clients dropping charges they'll be released."

"Thank you detective" said Miranda graciously, no point rubbing it in.

"Ha we have a weapon of mass litigation and we're not afraid to use it" said Shepard with a laugh.

Miranda sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, the detective looked at her pityingly, "Tell me Ms Lawson are you responsible for these two."

"It would appear that way" replied Miranda.

"Uh huh…..you have my deepest sympathy" replied Anaya standing up and taking out the keys to unlock the cuffs, "Please get them out of my station, I have enough problems trying to get the Justicar released."

"Detective if your superior is intent on sending you to your deaths you have a right to disobey orders" said Shepard getting up and massaging his wrists.

Miranda couldn't help it, she glanced at Garrus and Jacob, "Let's remember that the next time Shepard sets us up against impossible odds" she said with a wry smile.

"That's about twice a day" replied Garrus with a grin.

Anaya sighed, "I'm a cop and I know my duty, I've been ordered to detain her and I will, unless I can get her to leave my district first."

"We may be able to help with that detective" cut in Shepard.

For the first time Miranda turned to look properly at the red armoured Asari sitting perched on the desk, regarding them all with a contemplative expression. Miranda had given her a quick once over, enough to access the woman and draw initial conclusions when they'd arrived. Now thought she examined the Asari they had come to recruit and confirmed her initial impressions, calm, controlled, un-phased by the back and forth and utterly lethal. Miranda liked what she saw.

"Miranda Lawson, Kasumi Goto, Thane Krios this is Justicar Samara, she's got a problem which we're going to help her out with" explained Shepard.

"Now there's a surprise" replied Miranda dryly.

* * *

Shepard explained the situation and his plan which he'd clearly been working on while they'd been under arrest. In a nut shell he wanted to get the information Samara needed before the deadline expired and she had to kill her way out of the police station.

"What's our time frame" asked Miranda putting aside her anger with Shepard and focusing on the mission.

"My code will allow me to remain here for one day, after that I must leave", explained the Justicar patiently.

"There's no way I can let her go in that time" added the detective.

"You will not be able to stop me" Samara said with calm serenity. Not a threat just a statement of fact

Miranda defiantly liked what she saw.

"So to summarise we've got a mission with minimal time to plan, prepare and execute and if we fail people are going to die" explained Shepard.

"You could at least pretend not to be enjoying this" asked Miranda annoyed.

"Well let's get going" said Shepard, "Detective, Justicar, we'll be back in a few hours."

With a sigh Miranda nodded to the detective and Samara and led the way out of the station, Shepard falling in next to her, "Thanks for baling us out Miranda" he said quietly.

"Yeah appreciated, wasn't looking forward to being in here when Samara goes nuclear" added Garrus from behind.

"You're a pair of bloody idiots" she replied not so quietly.

Outside Shepard nodded to the others, "Give us a minute guys."

He waited till the others were out of ear shot, "Ok let's have it" he said simply.

Miranda's suppressed anger boiled up, "You were stupid and immature, you got on your high horse and put your damn principles before practicalities. If you'd talked to that detectives superiors calmly and sensibly you could probably have convinced them to let Samara go or failing that I could have dug up enough to blackmail or bribe them. As it is we have to go into a fight where we may very well take casualties all because you lost your temper."

Shepard paused then nodded, "Your right" he replied.

Miranda was caught off guard, "What..." she asked.

"Your right" replied Shepard, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this and for screwing up. Me and Garrus in a situation like that was asking for trouble. I should have calmed down and called you and asked for your help instead of shooting my mouth off. Now I need your help to fix it."

Miranda glared at him, "Just like that."

Shepard nodded, "Yes just like that."

She glared at him, "Alright but you need to watch yourself Shepard. You can't fight this sort of thing with a gun, you need to use me to protect you and the others from this type of threat. I'm your XO, my job is to support you and you need to let me do it. The next time you end up in jail Shepard I'm getting a job as prosecuting council and I'll be looking for twenty five to life…..for a traffic violation."

Shepard grinned, "Thanks Miranda and you're right, now shall we go clean up this mess."

He turned to go, then he paused, "There is a difference Miranda" he said softy, "Between me and her boss I mean. I'll never send you against impossible odds, I may lead you against them, I may even be leading us all to our deaths but I'm the first one on the ground and the last one out…._always_."

Miranda paused and sighed, "I know Shepard" she replied softly, "That's one of the reasons I trust you."

* * *

They started by tracking down and interrogating Pitne For, the Volus merchant who's partner's murder had sparked all of this. Shepard didn't try and intimidate the merchant, he calmly, almost nonchalantly laid out his options.

"Eclipse are hunting you, the cops can't help and we're the only force on Illium who can match them, you want to stay alive I'm your best chance" warned Shepard.

"Yes your right earth clan" agreed the Volus between inhalations, "I'm desperate, I've got angry mercs after me and now this Asar Justicar. Let's talk."

For turned and paced the other way a little, "I smuggled a chemical onto Illium that boosts biotic powers in combat. It also is….toxic."

He looked back at Shepard, "I may have umm….forgotten to mention that to the Eclipse. So they are perturbed and want to kill me."

"What's this drug called" asked Shepard.

"Minagen X3, it's very…potent" replied the Volus.

"No wonder Eclipse want you dead for selling that" cut in Miranda.

"You know about this stuff" asked Shepard.

"It was designed as a combat enhancer for biotics, it's a cautionary tale of side effects. Only the very stupid try it because eventually it kills you, no exceptions" she replied.

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "I need to know everything about the Eclipse base, how to get in, how many guards, what sort of weaponry. Tell me and you might just live to see the sun rise."

* * *

"It's basically a large complex of docking bays and warehouses, designed to move freight on and off world", summarised Shepard. "I'm sure that Eclipse took it over specifically because it makes getting stuff on and off planet so easy."

"So we go in hard, shoot our way through them" suggested Garrus gesturing at the schematic to the Eclipse base they had gotten from For's omni tool.

"It won't work" replied Shepard, "They have ships, they'll escape from the roof and we may lose our intel and then Samara will leave that police station through the wall, after making mincemeat of the cops. We need to drop into their top docking bay, put a knife right through their hearts."

"Except if we do that then we're dropping straight into a kill zone" replied Garrus, "They'll be able to train guns on us from every side, we'll be cut down as we land."

"Smoke and mirrors" suggested Miranda.

"What do you have in mind" asked Shepard.

"You have the pass key, you can get in through the front door and draw them into a fight" explained Miranda pointing at the schematics.

"Easily but they'll bail through the roof in their transports like I said" replied Shepard.

"I haven't finished" countered Miranda, "While your distracting them a second team can infiltrate the docking bays from above, not with a Kodiac but over the roof tops following a covert drop nearby by air car. The second team disables the transports and the docks access stranding the Eclipse and their caught in between two teams."

"I take it you want to lead the second team" asked Shepard.

Miranda nodded, "It has to be me or you, we're the two with the most experience of working quietly and leading operations. If you go I have to go into the heavy fire fight, I can do it but it's a waste where as you can bring firepower and stamina I can't match. Plus it will give you and Garrus a chance to play games together."

Shepard looked at Garrus, "What do you think brother."

Garrus looked at the holo-map, "Bold, gutsy, dangerous, I like it."

"So do I. That said you'll be awfully exposed up there Miranda" replied Shepard.

"Then you best not hang around getting to us" countered Miranda lightly, "I can take care of myself, just make sure you create enough noise that all their attentions on the front door."

Shepard nodded and grinned suddenly, "Right then, Miranda you and me will do a quick recon of the target. Garrus get back to the Normandy and get that new toy out of the armoury, the M-920 and while you're there give Jack and Grunt a shake. This is going to be right up their street."


	17. Chapter 17: High Noon

**CH:17: High Noon.**

**Illium:**

"Alpha team ready to go" whispered Garrus. Shepard nodded, in addition to Garrus he had Grunt, Jack and Jacob. This team was the opposite of his usual style which used speed, surprise and clinical aggression not just raw power. Tonight though raw power exactly what was called for.

"Talk to me Miranda" he radioed.

"We're almost in position, ETA ninety seconds. You can go whenever you're ready" reported Miranda over the radio.

"How fucking nice of her, stuck up bitch" commented Jack.

"Save it for Eclipse Jack" replied Shepard, "Ok Garrus lead off."

Garrus nodded and gripped Shepard's forearm, "Don't get dead brother" he whispered.

"Same to you" replied Shepard returning the grip. Garrus nodded and turned back to the doors, they opened and the shooting began.

* * *

Miranda, Kasumi and Thane were hunched in the shadows on the roof top next to the eclipse docking bays, all wearing goggles to protect their eyes from the airborne dirt and the gale which pulled at Kasumi's hood and sent Miranda's hair streaming out behind her.

Miranda heard the shooting start up below them over the comm and nodded, "Let's go" she ordered and the three of them moved like shadows towards their target.

There were two Sentries on the roof, Thane killed them both before they even knew he was there. Then the three of them attached magnetic clamps to the cross pieces, dropping down long lines into the docking bay and in one, fluid motion they stepped out into thin air and rappelled down into the shadows below.

There were a few Eclipse sister's still about, but they were nervous, clearly focused on the fire fight happening below and preparing the shuttles and two light cutters ready to leave.

Miranda, Kasumi and Thane split up, moving quietly. They stuck to the shadows and worked fast, hacking and disabling launch systems, shutting down generators and scrambling flight telemetry. Where they found Eclipse they killed silently, using their blades and unarmed fighting skills, most of the Asari were dead before they saw them, necks broken or throats cut.

The plan was working, in under ten minutes the entire fleet was disabled and the Eclipse pilots dead. Miranda called the other's in under cover.

"Are we done" she asked softly.

"Almost, there's a pair of gunship's in the lower flight bay, there being armed up" whispered back Kasumi.

"You and me will deal with them, Krios cover us with your sniper rifle" ordered Miranda.

They both nodded and the three of them melted into the shadows.

* * *

Shepard was having to focus most of his attention on controlling the battle, he needed to make sure Jack and Grunt didn't get over enthusiastic and beak up the team. Their momentum was ferocious, the Eclipse mercs couldn't match their power, but they were fighting smart. Eclipse started melting into the shadows, hitting the team from the flanks with vicious biotic strikes and sending in Loki mechs to tie them down.

"Garrus, Jacob clear them out" ordered Shepard as a fusillade of fire came their way, "Jack get their attention, I'll cover you." He rose, losing off a high velocity shot which struck one of the mercs and smashed her barriers, sending her staggering backwards before Grunt fired another shot, putting her down.

Clouds of red sand filled the battle field, "Everyone stay clear of that shit" ordered Shepard as an Eclipse merc unleashed a biotic blast which fried his shields, forcing him to duck back into cover or be shredded.

"Chicken shit" muttered Jack.

"Don't even think about it Jack" he responded calmly, firing rapid bursts at the merc who'd targeted him "I need you on the ball not spaced out .Now hit that merc, clear me a path."

As he moved forward, firing to try and clear out the Eclipse troopers from behind cover he realised it was taking too long. They were winning but in danger of being bogged down and Miranda's team was out on a limb.

"Jacob close up on me, we need to end this" James ordered, vaulting a crate and hitting the merc who's pinned him down in the face with his rifle butt before finishing her off with a point blank burst of fire.

Miranda and Kasumi crept towards the Gunships, keeping low, there were a number of Eclipse moving round the first gunship getting it ready for battle. Miranda dropped into cover, Kasumi next to her. Miranda turned to the other woman and motioned to ready her EMP, this was going to be close but they could do it.

Miranda was about to give the order when an Eclipse trooper walked round the corner, right in front of them. Miranda moved fast, her knife coming up and she buried it in the Asasi's throat before she merc could draw her weapon.

But not in time to stop her yelling out.

Instantly the mercs drew there weapons looking for a target.

Cursing her slowness Miranda charged her biotics, the mission had just gone horribly wrong.

* * *

Miranda and Kasumi were immediately pinned down under heavy fire, "Krios hit them" ordered Miranda, the words were barely out of her mouth when one of the Asari fell dead, the hollow bang of a sniper rifle echoing.

Miranda and Kasumi rose, dodging through a hail of gunfire, and both hit the energy cells being used to charge the gunship closest to them with their EMPs. The cells overloaded, exploded, and the gunship followed suit a moment later, taking four mercs with it and driving the others back with the fury of the explosion.

Miranda and Kasumi took the opportunity to dive into new cover, just in time as the fire from the Eclipse redoubled with murderous intensity. "Kasumi cloak and get around them, hit that other gunship" she ordered.

"Miri what about you" yelled back Kasumi over the bark of rifles and the 'whoosh' of biotics from the Eclipse.

"Forget about me" snapped Miranda twisting to return fire with her SMG, "I'll cover you go."

"Ms Lawson we're too late" came Krios's voice over the com, a moment later they heard the scream of engines as the second gunship lifted off above them.

"Damn it to hell" snapped Miranda in frustration, the Eclipse mercs continued pouring fire at her, "Cover me, launching warp blast" yelled one of the Asari and a biotic blast blamed into her cover, draining her shields.

With a snarl Miranda reached out with her biotics and grabbed the Asari vanguard, pulling her bodily into the air, "Fall and die" she spat bringing the Asari down onto the deck with a sickening crunch.

The remaining mercs continued firing but Miranda was pissed off and was in no mood to practice restraint, she sent a barrage of biotic blasts their way. The Eclipse troopers were so busy scrambling to deal with her they forgot about Kasumi and Thane, a fatal mistake. The combination of warp blasts, EMP bursts and high powered rifle fire quickly cut down the mercs Miranda didn't crush or vaporise with precise strikes of her biotics.

Miranda checked, the docking bay, "Are we clear" she snapped, "Clear Miri" replied Kasumi materialising next to her, "Likewise" replied Thane dropping down from the walkway above.

Miranda nodded, "We're to exposed here, we'll cross that bridge, get into cover and move to meet Shepard's team."

She'd barely finished speaking when the gunship screamed overhead.

* * *

"Shepard we're taking fire from a gunship" came Miranda's voice over the comm.

"Have that, hold on Miranda we're two minutes out" replied James. The team were in the process of fighting through a cargo yard, the enemy had lots of cover and each merc had to be driven out of cover at point blank range, it was brutal, bloody work and all of them were exhausted.

Shepard glanced back, "We have to break through now, Grunt, Jack, Jacob with me, Garrus cover us, we're going through them."

They charged, not headlong but moving from cover to cover, laying down suppressive fire in support of each other. None of them moved without covering fire and none of the fired without someone moving forward.

They all took damage but they dealt out more and finally the last Eclipse trooper had fallen and they were at the door to the roof and the uppermost docking bay.

* * *

"Shit I can't hack this, Garrus" asked Shepard.

Garrus looked at the door controls, "I can do it but it'll take a couple of minutes."

"Miranda doesn't have a couple of minutes", replied Shepard quickly, "Everyone get back" he ordered unslinging the M-920.

* * *

The blast vaporised the door and a decent section of the wall in a focused blast.

James was still lowering the heavy weapon as Garrus led the team through the hole where the door used to be. There were four Asari on the other side, firing at something out of site, they were exposed, out of cover, they died before they knew what hit them.

He followed his team through, unslinging his M-15 and joining the squad, he looked left and saw a bridge and one the other side Miranda, Kasumi and Thane crouched in cover, clearly they had been the target of the Asari's fire.

"Fuck the cheerleader made it" gripped Jack. Shepard sighed but it looked like she was right, his entire team appeared to be intact thank god.

James walked towards them, his rifle held low, Miranda rose and walked to meet him. She lowered her SMG but her eyes were watchful and trained on the skies.

"Looks like Eclipse didn't count on _you_ Miranda" said James with a grin nodding towards what was left of the gunship.

"There's another gunship out there somewhere Shepard" she replied.

They we're interrupted by the scream of engines, "You were saying" shouted James as the gunship rose up above the skyline.

* * *

They turned and sprinted to end of the bridge where Kasumi and Thane were in cover, vaulting the barriers and diving down side by side as the heavy weapons opened sire and strafed the bridge.

"Garrus, Jack you okay", coughed Shepard.

"No damn it…..I've got a cramp" replied Garrus over the com.

Shepard sighed, "Just when I think he's run out of bad lines. Ok let's work this thing, the M-920's dead so we'll go for a rolling barrage."

"Shepard remember Omega when we rescued Garrus" asked Miranda.

"Yes I do" replied Shepard with a nod, "But we've still got a way to go and you pushing yourself to breaking point now won't help."

"I can do it Shepard" she said firmly.

"I know you can but this time we've got other options, let's use them" he replied.

Miranda sighed and nodded, "Ok you're in charge, call it" she replied.

Shepard began snapping orders, "Right as it rolls in again Jacob do your best to shield us, as it passes overhead it has to slow to bank, then we hit it in order. Miranda, and Kasumi EMP the shields, Thane you and me take care of the armour, Grunt, Garrus high powered rounds to the cockpit, Jack, Jacob lay down suppressive fire."

"Anything else" asked Jacob.

"Yes" replied Garrus with a chuckle, "If it shoots a missile at you, _duck_."

As he spoke the gunship swept in for another pass, weapons blazing and losing off rockets at them. Jacob put up a biotic barrier to shield them from the worst of it, they hugged cover as the rounds came in hard.

James checked the life sign indicators on his HUD, his team had taken hits but nothing serious they were still operational.

Then the gunship passed overhead, banked and for a few seconds was broadside on.

They it with a stream of fire, in sequence as James directed, a torrent of EMPs, biotics, armour piercing rounds and blasphemy rose up to meet the gunship, tearing through its shields and then shredding its armour.

Garrus was ready and waiting, he saw the Gunships barriers fizzle out, three seconds later he saw the armour fail. Two milliseconds after that he pulled the trigger and put a single high power concussive shot into the pilot, straight through his heart.

The gunship pitched over and nose-dived down towards the street, streaming smoke and flame.

Garrus smiled, "That's for Omega" he said with relish.

* * *

Shepard called the team in and checked them over, everyone was walking and talking….and complaining which was always good sign.

"Good job guys, we've got them off balance, let's finish this."

He led them through the door at the other end of the bridge. He noticed a data pad and his scavengers instincts kicked in and he picked it up.

"Looks like a shipping manifest, show's Pitney For was shipping in red sand and Minagen X3."

"This won't help Samara but it proves For is a criminal" Garrus said without taking his eyes of the corridor

"Valuable information to the Volus" commented Grunt.

"Maybe, but it's also enough for the detective to get an arrest warrant" cut in Miranda, "After everything you've put her through tonight I'd say we owe her a favour."

"Me" asked James in a wounded tone.

"Yes you Shepard" replied Miranda

He paused then nodded, "You may have a point. Ok let's keep moving, we still have intel to find."

* * *

They came round the corner and through a door to find a disorientated looking Volus meandering around the corridor, at the sound of the door he tottered round to face them…..and walked right into Shepard's shin.

"I am a biotic god" the Volus said grandiosely, his body flashing blue with biotic energy, "I think things….and they happen."

Miranda's eyes narrowed, she doubted the Volus was a threat but he was a complication.

"Fear me lesser creatures" ranted the Volus turning to pace restlessly, "For I am biotics made flesh."

Shepard raised his hands soothingly, "Ok calm down, I think you may need to take it easy, we're not here for trouble" he said clearly working hard to keep a straight face.

"Says who" snapped Jack, Miranda fought down the urge to cut her off with an acidic put down.

"You need to take it easy" the Volus shouted back, "You stand before the mightiest biotic ever."

"Jack you've got a contender for the title" commented Jacob.

"I'm going to take a stab in the dark that you have recently ingested something chemical" said Shepard his tone tolerant.

"Yes the Asari injected many drugs into me, it was terrifying" replied the Volus, "But then I began to smell my greatness."

Shepard glanced at Miranda who gave him an annoyed glare, he gave her a shrug in return.

"They may laugh when I fall over" continued the Volus, "But they don't know what I know in my head. That I know that I am amazingly powerful. Fear Me."

This last was proclaimed as a challenge…at Grunt.

"Grunt he's clearly high, don't take it out on him" cut in Shepard quickly.

The Krogan shook his head in amazement but didn't squash the Volus.

"Look I think you should just chill out for a bit, galactic domination can wait a bit" Shepard said turning to the Volus, "Who are you anyway, are you with Pitne For."

The Volus nodded and nearly fell over with the motion, "When I was mortal I was known as Niftu Cal, I worked for Pitne For. Poor fool is probably terrified that I have not returned."

"He hasn't reported you missing" replied Jacob "And he didn't mention you to us when we headed out to hit this place."

"Didn't want to get stuck here" added Jack.

"Can't imagine why" commented Miranda under her breath.

"Bah" spat Cal, "I shall wreak a just revenge upon his people. But first…..you're just in time to witness my crowning achievement, the leader of the mercenaries is in the next room. I shall toss Wasea around like a rag doll."

"Shepard this idiot isn't a threat to anyone" barked Grunt.

"Except us" added Miranda coolly, "Having an incapacitated Volus running around our battlefield could compromise us."

"I will tear her apart" ranted the Cal, not clear whether he meant Miranda or Wasea given he was facing the wall, "My biotics are unstoppable."

Shepard glanced over the Volus's head and winked at Garrus. To Cal he said, "I really think you should lie down."

"Bah, an ill wind blows Wasea, Captain of the Eclipse" replied the Vouls turning.

Garrus closed the distance in two steps and gently tapped the Volus on the back, Cal tottered round to look at him, and Shepard shoved him from behind, knocking Cal to the floor.

He stumbled to his feet, more disorientated than ever, "Biotic god….greatness…..I…..power….what was I saying."

"How you were going to take a nap" replied Shepard gently.

The Volus nodded, "Yes…..tired…..lie down now…..destroy universe later."

He stumbled off down the corridor, unit he walked into the wall at which point he sat down hard, his head lolled and a moment later there was the sound of snoring.

Miranda looked at Shepard and raised an eyebrow, "So much for godhood" she said with a smirk.

"He's out for the count", said Garrus "Will wake up with a bastard of a headache but he will wake up."

"Sleep well. And dream of bulbous women" Thane intoned reverently.

"Oh If I go to my grave without ever hearing those words again it will be too soon", complained Garrus.

Shepard rolled his eyes, "Right well as biotics incarnate there has fallen asleep I guess it's up to us. Let's get it done."

They approached the door to the room holding the Eclipse captain and Shepard raised his first above his head, signalling them down onto one knee.

"What's the play" asked Garrus.

Shepard glanced at Miranda, "In my file did you ever come across something called 'High Noon'?"

Miranda raised an eyebrow, she had indeed heard of that and if Shepard was thinking that he was crazy. It was Garrus who spoke though, "You can't be serious."

Shepard smiled, "Generally not no, but we're still going to try it."

* * *

James opened the door and walked inside, to find an angry looking Eclipse Captain drinking from a glass of wine and reading a data pad, he walked in on his own, his rifle low.

"Everything's gone to hell since we smuggled that filthy creature off world" commented the Asari angrily without looking at him, "First that damn Justicar shows up and now you."

"Hate to tell you this Captain but you're not even in my top ten biggest problems of the day. I'm only here for intel, tell me where you sent that fugitive the Justicar was tracking and I walk away. Otherwise I'm going to show you what the word 'commando' really means" replied James.

The Asari glared at him, and was lit by the blue glow of biotics, "That's funny I was thinking I could take the opportunity to turn your head into a pulpy mass."

With a gesture she set a container of red sand flying towards Shepard, he vaulted right adrenalin filling blood stream as he bought his rifle up and put a concussive shot into Wasea's chest. She stumbled backwards but her barriers held. "That the best you have human. I can rip you apart, the question is what can you do to stop me."

"Me….nothing" replied James as he ducked out of the way of the next crate.

The flash bang thundered, "That's why he has me" added Kasumi from the shadows.

Wasea stumbled backwards blinded by the grenades, just as the rest of the team piled in through the door.

* * *

Garrus was by Shepard's side in a second and the two of them immediately fell into their old pattern, working in tandem, one firing, the other moving, putting down a barrage of fire on the Eclipse Captain.

"I see you failed with another woman Shepard" shouted Garrus.

"She's not my type anyway, feel free to ask her out" replied Shepard losing off another shot.

They ducked back as another crate came hurtling their way, a cloud red sand covering them and forcing them forward, out of cover and into the Asari's field of fire. Shepard dropped to the floor but Garrus had gotten a good lungful and emerged choking and coughing from the cloud as the grinning Asari extended a hand and unleashed a sickeningly powerful warp blast at him.

Shepard saw the blast and yelled, "Garrus down" but his friend's reactions were dulled by the drugs and the biotic blast seared towards him and stuck with the force of a missile strike.

Garrus blinked trying to clear his eyes and realised he was wreathed in a blue glow, a moment later he saw why Miranda stood her hand extended towards him a frown of intense concentration, throwing a barrier around him and shielding him from the warp blast that would have ripped him apart. She was so focused on protecting him she didn't see the Eclipse heavy emerge from cover behind her until it was too late.

Miranda twisted, bringing up her SMG, knowing she was too late. She saw the mercs rocket launcher trained on her, saw the finger tighten on the trigger.

She saw the merc suddenly stiffen, go limp and fall to the ground.

And she just saw Kasumi flicker back under cloak.

Exhaling a breath she hadn't realised she was holding Miranda turned back to the Eclipse Captain, channelling her anger into a ferocious warp blast which tore at the Asari's barriers.

* * *

Garrus had been poisoned and nearly shredded.

Miranda had come within a hairs breath of being blown apart.

James was seriously pissed off.

"Jack, Grunt, left flank clear out those Initiate" he shouted as new gunmen emerged, "Thane, Miranda right flank keep them pinned. Jacob I'm going to give you an opening."

He glanced at Garrus who was back with the program and in cover as another crate whipped overhead creating a cloud of red sand just behind them, "Let's nail this bitch" snapped Shepard.

"On your lead brother" replied Garrus.

"Wait for it" ordered Shepard as Wasea advanced on them, no question she was tough.

But she was also over confident, James waited until she was committed.

Then he hit the red sand canister at her feet with a burst from his rifle, sending a cloud of red powder up over the Asari, blinding her. Her biotics flared but she stumbled back, blinded and off balance, just as James and Garrus rose and hit her with a pair of high velocity shots which dropped her shields, followed by another warp blast from Miranda which ripped open the Asari's armour. Before she turned back to the gunmen on their flank.

Jack stepped out of cover, and with a gesture yanked Wasea off her feet with her she floated in the air Thane's warp blast detonated the biotic field pitching the Asari to the floor in a thunderous blast. As she fell Grunt, Jacob, Miranda and Shepard finished off the last of the Eclipse Initiates in a hail of gunfire.

Wasea rose shakily through the smoke and looked up, Shepard, Garrus, Jacob, Grunt knelt on one knee in front of her, rifles trained, she raised a hand and her biotics flared "Go to he…."

They fired together and her torso exploded.

James lowered his rifle, "Nobody fucks with my friends" he said quietly.

* * *

Miranda picked through Wasea's desk, her spy's training kicking in.

"Dibs on any credits" said Kasumi de-cloaking in front of her.

"Your kind of stealing my bit Kas" said Shepard with a grin as he approached, "Anything juicy Miranda."

"Yeah the cheerleader's ass" snapped Jack.

"Please we all know I've got the best ass here" cut in Shepard quickly before they could start sniping at each other.

"I think you got too much of that red sand in you brother" commented Garrus dryly.

"I've we could all come back to reality for a second" cut in Miranda coldly, handing Shepard a data pad "I've found this shipping manifest."

"Is that what that crazy Asari needs" asked Grunt.

"Looks like" replied Shepard, "Good job everyone we just made detective Anaya's day.

"Do we head back to the detective or look around" asked Garrus.

"You're asking the only person in the galaxy who's a bigger kleptomaniac than me that" asked Ksaumi with a grin.

"I'm trying to steer him away from his sinful way" replied Garrus mournfully.

James snorted, "Piss off brother, less talking more looting."

* * *

Once they got back to the terminal they found a nervous looking Pitney For waiting for them. His attempts to bribe or extort the information out of them did not go well for him.

"You little shit" snapped Shepard, "We clean up your mess, save your life and you have the gall to try and blackmail us."

"Earth clan I….I" stammered For.

"I could get a message to Eclipse, let them know how helpful he was in giving us that pass card" suggested Miranda coolly.

"Or we could just mention it to Samara" put in Jacob.

Shepard sighed, "My associates make a good points but I'm feeling generous, not to you but to detective Anaya. She's had a rough night so I'm going to pass this on to her and let her have the credit for the collar."

Leaving the stunned Volus in their wake they headed inside to the serene looking Justicar and the frantic looking detective.

* * *

Detective Anaya looked incredibly relieved once they'd given Samara the intelligence. For her part the Justicar showed no hint of emotion, Miranda was further impressed.

"Shepard you impress me" Samara said softly, "You have fulfilled your part of the bargain and I will fulfil mine."

The justicar insisted on swearing an oath to Shepard, something Miranda watched with great interest. She was aware such things existed but had never seen one before, she doubted any human had. There was little of the grandiose sentiment she normally associated with Asari, it was simple, done with the minimum of fuss, over in a flash of biotics and ten seconds…and was all the more potent for it.

The detective shook her head, "I never thought I'd see a Justicar swear an oath like that" she said quietly to Miranda. "They almost always work alone, although they are drawn to impossible causes."

Miranda shook her head and gave the detective a shrug, "We've got that covered" she replied dryly.

Miranda could tell Shepard was impressed by Samara, although the statement that followed in a calm, serene tone was chilling, "If you make me do anything extremely dishonourable I may have to kill you when I am released from my code."

For once Shepard didn't make a joke, "Samara I cannot promise I will make the decisions you would make but I give you my word I will try to honour your principals in my orders."

Miranda sighed internally, things just got even more complicated…but then Shepard had shown he thrived on complications, on chaos. She'd keep them on mission and trust him to make the team work. She was surprised to find that she actually was confident he could pull it off.

She was still annoyed with him for dragging her down here though.


	18. Chapter 18: A night on the town

**CH:18: A night on the town.**

**Normandy SR-2: (Illium).**

Miranda was working on her summary report for the Illusive Man when Shepard dropped by the following morning.

"Hey Miranda, do you have a second."

She sighed and looked up at him from her desk, "If I say no is there any chance you'll leave me to work."

Shepard appeared to consider this, "It's doubtful" he replied eventually.

"It must be nice to have the time to hassle people who actually have work to do" she said sarcastically.

"Oh it is" agreed Shepard, "By the way, stellar job leading bravo team against Eclipse I couldn't have asked for better."

Miranda frowned, "We let a gunship get airborne."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "You also took one out and a small army and cut off their escape meaning we succeeded, no possibility we could have won it without you. You also bought everyone out alive so will you please, just for once bask in the glow of a hard won achievement instead of being such a hard ass."

Miranda glared, "So now we're down to petty name calling."

"You should try it some time, it can be fun" said Shepard, then he leaned forward. "Seriously I am sorry I dragged you into the screw up with the cops and you did a fantastic job of bailing me and Garrus out. But when you think I've been a jackass instead of letting it fester and eat you up you can just call me a jackass" said Shepard sitting down.

"That would be deeply unprofessional" replied Miranda.

"If you did it in public yes, but no one knows what happens in here. You want to scream your lungs out at me until your hoarse go right ahead" Shepard said with a shrug.

Then he paused and winced, "Okay…that was possibly not the best choice of words, but you know what I mean."

"Its fine Shepard" she replied icily, "There was an issue, its resolved, end of discussion."

"You know one of the measurements if friendship is that when one friend has pissed you off you can tell each other to go to hell without any real consequences" said Shepard.

"Really, I haven't noticed you and Garrus say that" pointed out Miranda.

"We do it at least three time a day and we're like a loving couple compared to him and Wrex. They used to use words to describe each other that would melt steel bulkheads but they'd stand by each other without a second thought. We may screw with each other, but no one else does."

Miranda sat back and glared, "Alright. Then go to hell Shepard you sanctimonious, immature, preachy prick."

"With pleasure Miranda you tight assed control freak" he shot back matching her glare.

Then he smiled, "Feel better?"

She glared, but couldn't keep the ghost of a smile from her face and her eyes flashed with amusement, "Yes…..I feel like a whole new woman, in fact I may have to start berating you more often."

"I look forward to it, in the meantime I think you should take the night off, working with me is stressful at the best of times and you need to blow off steam."

"I'm fine Shepard" she replied.

"Really, because this report has three spelling mistakes on page one" replied Shepard holding up a data pad.

Miranda snatched it from him and read through the page, skimming it rapidly, then again more slowly. "No it doesn't" she said putting it down.

"No it doesn't" agreed Shepard with a grin. "But you had to check to be sure."

She gave him a flat look, "You know Shepard sometimes I think you were inflicted on me as a punishment for some grievous sin."

"Only you could take something as simple as insulting a friend and turn it into philosophy" he shot back grinning. Then his tone softened slightly, "Not that I'm saying it's not a good look but when was the last time you stepped off the ship dressed in something other than your cat suit" he asked.

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "What's you point" she asked evenly.

"My point is you haven't taken the night off since we started this so it's time to relax, are you really telling me that you, Miranda Lawson, can't afford to take the evening off, change out of your uniform and be human for a few hours. I mean come on I remember being XO on the SR-1 and bunking off when my desk was buried under paperwork to go for a drink with the guys…..admittedly it used to upset my boss but he got over it…..usually."

Miranda sighed, "I'll see Shepard, there's a lot to do."

He sighed, "Alright I'll talk to your later. Let me know if you change your mind."

* * *

James ticked off the things on his mental list, he wasn't organised enough to have an actual list, and arrived at speak to Samara. He decided he needed coffee first and looped through the mess to get some.

"Hi Shep" said a voice cheerfully behind him causing him to nearly drop the mug, he glared at thin air.

"Kas I'm going to get you a cow bell or something" he growled.

"Ohhh, a pretty silver one" asked Kasumi de-cloaking a meter to the right of where he was looking.

James sighed, "Its irritating when you just brush off my threats…..and even as I'm saying this I'm understanding how Miranda must feel every time she talks to me."

"Speaking of which is Miri joining us tonight" asked Kasumi falling into step with him as he headed towards the starboard observation lounge.

"Doubtful, she's working" replied James.

Kasumi paused, "That so, leave it with me Shep" she said with a grin.

James raised an eyebrow but the thief was gone, vanished into thin air.

Shaking his head he headed off to bother Samara, wondering if he'd just kicked the hornets' nest.

* * *

James conversation went well, certainly better than some of the introductions he'd had. Eventually their conversation got on to Cerberus and to his surprise he found Samara was the first new recruit who didn't have an opinion, good or bad, on their sponsors.

"Why were you willing to work with Cerberus if you've no first-hand knowledge of them" asked Shepard.

"I work for you Shepard, our methods may be different but our goals are not" she said.

Shepard sighed, "I'm happy to hear that Samara and I'm glad you joined us but it does raise an issue."

"Tell me your concern" asked Samara.

"I could be killed at any point on this mission. The team has to be stronger than any individual including me. I'm not going to make you stay in a situation that you're uncomfortable with, you can leave now with no issues, we'll part as friends. I'd like you to stay, but if you want to stay it has to be as part of the team not just as someone sworn to my service."

Samara paused and considered this, "My oath is to you Shepard, but out of respect for you judgement I will aid your companions if your slain though I cannot promise to follow their orders as yours."

Shepard nodded, "I trust you Samara. I trust you to do the right thing if I'm killed. We're the last, best chance to stop Genocide. If there's a more horrific injustice out there I haven't found it yet, we will stop this and we need you to do it. To allow one death, my death, to get in the way of that, we'd all be failing in our duty."

Samara looked at him, "I have known Asari with eight hundred years of experience and insight who lacked your…clarity of purpose Shepard."

He grinned and tapped his head, "It's easy to keep things simple when there's not much going on up here. I'll do what I do until I find something that does it better and kills me."

Samara looked at him shrewdly, "A simple philosophy and effective. Except that has already happened, you died and without Miranda's work you would not be here."

James paused and looked out into the stars, "Hmmm…..you know I never actually thought of that. I guess I need a new philosophy in life."

Samara nodded, "I would appear that way. One of the things that has always fascinated me about your species is your adaptability. I am confident you will find a solution."

James smiled, "That makes one of us, still I know where to start looking. We're heading out for a night out on the town before we leave, I'd be honoured if you'd join us Samara. You might get to see a side of humanity that the history books don't describe."

The Justicar bowed her head, "I would like that Shepard."

* * *

Miranda was using the relative peace to simultaneously review the surveillance logs from around the Normandy, perform a tactical analysis of Samara and Thane Krios and catch up with the mission reports for the Illusive Man. Shepard's debriefs were comprehensive and insightful but required a lot of…polishing before they were fit for outside consumption.

"Hey Miri, how come you get a double bed, is there something you're not telling us" asked a voice from thin air.

Miranda's eyes narrowed, she put her data pad down and turned to look at the empty space the voice had come from, which a second later was occupied by the hooded thief.

Miranda looked at the closed door…then to Kasumi…then back at the door.

"How the hell….." she started, then sighed, "Never mind."

Kasumi grinned, "Nice to see you to Miri now put the work down were going out."

Miranda sighed, "Don't call me that. I take it Shepard set you up to this."

"Nope" replied Kasumi, "He thinks you should take a break to but there's a difference, I won't take no for an answer."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Remind me to explain the concept of the chain of command to you at some point."

"Chains and whips aren't my thing Miri, cool if your into it though" replied Kasumi grinning. "Now you have to understand something, you're not getting any work done tonight."

Miranda put down the data pad and gave her a level look, "Really. I beg to differ."

Kasumi grinned, "You're very, very good at hacking and electronics Miri. But when it comes to sabotage I'm the best there is. So am going to hack your system and screw up everything you try to do. You can probably fix each hack but I'm bored and have nothing better to do so I'll just keep on throwing new hacks your way, all evening…..unless that is you stop being boring and trying to work and come out with us."

Miranda glared, damn it Kasumi was probably right she could pull it off, "You wouldn't dare" she snapped acidly.

"Miri think about all the rich and powerful people I've stolen from. Plus I can read you. You won't touch me, you like me too much."

"Don't count on it" replied Miranda coldly.

Kasumi shrugged, "What's life without little risk. I'm prepared to take the chance you're bluffing, question is, are you going to take that chance with me."

Miranda sighed, "If, _IF_ I agree you will stop annoying me when I'm trying to work and you will tell me how you managed to evade Oleg Petrovsky for months before _you_ found _us_."

Kasumi nodded, "Deal" she replied.

Miranda closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I am starting to regret succeeding at the Lazarus project, the next time I'm building a mech with a damn AI that just looks like Shepard."

Kasumi grinned, "Miri, two jokes in two days…..are you ill."

"I don't joke" replied Miranda coolly.

* * *

James left his quarters and headed down to deck two and the airlock. Outside on the dock he found what looked like the entire team. "How is it that no one's ever this eager to go when we're going on a mission" he asked Garrus.

"There's less chance of getting shot at when we go for a drink", replied Garrus.

"Famous last words" commented a female voice dryly from over his shoulder.

James glanced over and it took moment to connect the soft Australian accent with the woman wearing a grey suit and red blouse.

"Commander…are you ok", Miranda asked.

"Sorry you sound just like my XO" replied James, "You look kind of like her to, but there's something different."

"If I have to listen to this from you I need a drink" commented Garrus with a groan.

* * *

Shepard led the way as his team argued vigorously about the relative merits of Illium. He regarded as a perfectly acceptable situation as they were at the stage where they could argue without opening fire, it was progress.

All was well, until…..

"Hey you. Yeah you, Shepard" shouted an angry looking Asari.

Shepard looked her, "Yeah what can I…."

**SMACK**.

His head was spun around by the force of the slap.

There was a long, dangerous pause.

Shepard looked up rubbing his cheek, "I don't think I deserved that, do I know you."

"Don't play games. Your friend came into my bar, harassed my people and tried to get the deed to the place" snapped the Asari angrily.

Miranda checked the group in at a glance, that sounded like exactly the sort of stunt Jack or Zaeed might pull but they were all still with them, she wondered what the hell was going on.

"That crap might fly on Omega, but Illium has laws. I've got security feeds all over my bar."

Shepard shot a confused look at the team, "Ok let's try and work this out with small words. You're saying one of my people harassed your people. When?"

"He's in there now and if you or your group bothers my people again I'll have you arrested so fast you'll red shift on your way to the prison transport."

"Better get ready your powers of darkness Miranda" whispered Garrus, "Looks like we might need your lawyer alter ego again soon."

"Something's wrong" Miranda cut in ignoring Garrus, "The team hasn't been near this place."

"You sure" asked Shepard.

She gave him a look.

"Right stupid question" he admitted.

"Let's go check it out" said Garrus with a grin.

* * *

"Oh no….oh hell no….I don't believe it" groaned Shepard.

"What" asked Kasumi curious.

"Change of plan let's find another bar. No let's find another planet" ordered Shepard turning but Garrus blocked his path.

"Now, now Shepard are you really going to walk away from someone in trouble" he asked grinning.

"For this yes…..no…crap" replied Shepard.

"Ok" sighed Garrus, "I guess I'll just have to go talk to him myself. Hey maybe I'll give him your email address so he can get in touch with you."

Shepard looked at him, "You bastard" he said shaking his head and turning around and walking to the bar.

Garrus glanced at them all, "Drinks and a show, this is going to be fun."

* * *

James walked over to the bar, listening to the ranting human, he didn't say anything for a minute just lent on the bar with his head in his hands and listened to the conversation. The others clustered round, wanting to see what would happen.

"I'm commander Shepard's squad mate, practically second in command. You don't want to mess with me" the human snapped at a cranky looking Asari bartender.

"Hey Miri, sounds like you're out of a job" teased Kasumi with a giggle.

"I'm going to save the galaxy. I don't have time for your crap" the man bragged.

"We'll was know he's not Shepard. He always has time for another drink" Garrus said with a grin.

"That's right" ranted the man, "Anybody messing with m will answer to my good friend….."

They both were interrupted by the thump of James banging his head hard on the bar, he looked up, "Oh crap it wasn't a dream" he said wearily.

"Commander Shepard…..is that you" asked the man stunned.

"Hey if you know this idiot can you rein him in before I slap his ass with a singularity" asked the exasperated Asari.

"Shepard is it really you. It's me, Conrad. We met on the citadel. I wanted to become a Spectre" the man said, his tone reverent.

"Let me introduce you all to Conrad Verner" said Garrus with a grin at the team.

"Your alive, this is the happiest day of my life" the man continued actually raising his hands in joy.

"He's Shepard's number one fan" added Garrus grinning ear to ear.

James ignored the idiot and lent over the bar, "Could you possibly get me two shots of something very strong."

"Hey he doesn't need booze" cut in the Asari.

"They're both for me" explained Shepard before turning back to the Verner.

"Conrad" he said slowly feeling his patience wearing thin, "Why are you acting like me?"

"Well you were gone right and the galaxy still needed protecting so I decided to finish what you started. In your honour."

"Forget Shepard, this guy thinks he's Blasto" commented Jacob.

Shepard sighed and put his head in his hands, "But what…..oh forget it. Why are you hassling….sorry I don't know you name."

"This place is actually a front for a red sand dealer" said the man excitedly, "I need to take it over to crack the ring."

"What" asked the Asari, "Who the hell told you that?"

"The owner of that weapons store near the carport. She's an undercover cop. She told me when I introduced myself."

Shepard glanced piteously at Miranda, "I don't sound like this do I…..please say no."

"Listen crap for brains" snapped the bartender. "First we don't sell red sand. Second Red Sand is legal on Illium you just need a permit."

"Yeah she said you'd say that" replied Verner, "She's on to you."

"Stand back I'm going to shoot him" ordered Shepard reaching into his jacket.

"Now, now James you need to control these homicidal urges" said Garrus grinning.

"Really because I'm having one involving you and that window" replied Shepard.

He took a deep breath, "Right I will sort this out. Conrad stay here and just….try to avoid starting a war."

"Thank you" replied the Asari, "If I kill annoying customers it usually causes property damage. That comes out of my pay."

Verner beamed, "Just let me know if you need any help Shepard."

James sighed, "Garrus stay here and make sure he doesn't annoy our friend here enough to merit death by biotics. Miranda if Garrus fails get rid of the body."

* * *

Shepard disappeared, leaving them in the bar….so they got a drink.

Miranda's brow furrowed, she wondered what Shepard was up to this time.

"Hey Miri" said Kasumi appearing beside her, "They've got some good stuff here. No sake but this Asari wine's not bad."

"It's Illium, you'll always get the best" replied Miranda taking the glass, "Thanks" she added after a moment.

"See told you it would be fun. So I have a question, you wear those heels everywhere….how is it you never fall over."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Poise, grace and economy of motion were all designed into my genes."

"Really" asked Kasumi impressed.

"Absolutely" she replied, "Plus I trained in them ten hours a day until I don't even notice them anymore."

Kasumi snorted, "Miri I don't know what's got into you recently but do me a favour, keep it there."

"Fine but stop eyeing up my boots, if you want some you can steel them from someone else" replied Miranda. She gave Kasumi an amused smile at her surprised expression, "What you didn't think I'd notice."

Kasumi was about to respond when the door opened and the Asari weapons merchant they'd seen in the market walked in, followed at a distance by a smirking Shepard.

* * *

"Damn it this is just a misunderstanding" wailed the merchant.

"Tell it to the judge" replied the bar owner, "My surveillance devices caught your extortion attempt from four different angles."

"I was misled" protested the weapons dealer, "I was told you had agreed to sell."

"Take her away" snapped the owner, "Before I have my bartender toss her out of the window."

"You can't do this" protested the merchant.

"Tell you what" cut in Shepard, "You behave really well for the cops and I won't ask my Justicar friend to come over and explain her views on extortion."

The merchant's eyes bulged and she shut up instantly.

Shepard walked over to the bar where a stunned looking Verner was standing there, "What happened" he asked, "The undercover cop from the weapons kiosk just got arrested."

Shepard paused, sighed and rolled his eyes, "She wasn't a cop she was Garrus's crazy ex-girlfriend."

"Hey" cut in the Turian.

"She's been stalking him for years, thank god you caught her or who knows what she would have done" continued Shepard ignoring his friend.

"Really" asked Verner.

"Yes really Conrad" replied Shepard deliberately not looking over his shoulder at Kasumi who was making a series of gestures to convey her feelings on the story. "Now please go home, I'll take it from here."

He clapped Conrad on the shoulder and then walked over to the bar where, Kasumi and Miranda were standing with expressions of amusement and neutrality respectively.

"Well that's our bit of drama for this evening", he commented leaning on the bar.

"Oh I don't know I found it quite useful" commented Miranda.

"Sorry come again" asked Shepard.

Miranda smiled sweetly, "We'll I've got his name, email, date of birth and address. So the next time you screw up or decide to irritate me for the hell of it I might just get in contact and recruit him for the mission. It is part of my role as senior Cerberus officer after all and I think he might make a valuable addition to the team."

Shepard stared at her in horror then looked away, "I'll be good" he whimpered.

* * *

"Thanks for taking care of that crazy guy, saved me from having to beat him to death with his own spine. That sort of thing makes the other customers nervous" said the Asari bartender deadpan as she came over.

James looked at her and grinned, "Normally maybe but with this collection of psychopaths that's a workout warm up."

The Matriarch gave him a flat look, "Whatever. Anyway this is Eternity and I'm Aethyta, Asari matriarch and bartender."

"Shepard, human soldier and drifter" replied James with a grin, "So what's a Matriarch like you doing in a place like this."

Aethyta snorted, "Serving drinks mostly."

James decided he liked her, "So no honoured advice."

"I do that to right here at this bar" replied Aethyta, "I know, not what you'd expect. Nobody on Thessia wanted to listen to my wise council so here I am."

"I know the feeling believe me" replied James sympathetically, "Well I'd say you deserve a drink on me for putting up with that particular member of my species with you beating him to death with his own spine. What's good."

"Nothing" replied Aethyta with a smirk, "But if you're feeling brave try the mystery drink."

"Perfect" replied Shepard, "Get a round in plus something equally dangerous for this asshole" he said gesturing to Garrus.

Aethyta smiled, "Your funeral babe."

"Our funeral" replied James, "If you're poisoning us the least you can do is join in."

* * *

"So what's your back story", asked James.

Aethyta shrugged, "Dad was a Krogan who fought in the Rachni wars, my mother fought in the Krogan rebellions."

"Your mother fought in the rebellions" asked Shepard interested.

"I don't know if she fought exactly" replied Aethyta, "She scouted, snipped a few people and blew up a couple of people, you know commando stuff."

"Yes I do" replied Shepard.

"Sometimes she would put on the old commando leathers for special nights with dad" continued Aethyta, "Goddess that was embarrassing."

Shepard glanced at his black jacket and dark blue trousers, "Hmm, do they make them in my size do you think?"

Aethyta gave a snort of laughter, "Sorry babe no sex, just cleaned the bar", she said with a wink.

Shepard laughed as he headed back to Garrus and Mordin, balancing the drinks expertly. Miranda gave a long suffering sigh, Aethyta looked at her and smiled, "Don't worry sweetie he's not my type, I go for asses…. on the other hand, I might just steal _you_ away from _him_."

Miranda's eye brows shot up and she glared at the matriarch, "I work with Shepard, we're colleagues nothing more" she replied icily.

Aethyta looked at her shrewdly and shook her head, "Shame, you'd make a cute couple. Take it from me life's too short, normally you just find peace in whatever arms'll hold you. If you've got a shot at something, you take it."

Miranda shook her head and glared turning back to the table the team had taken over. First her sister, now the bartender, why did people assume she would be attracted to Shepard, he wasn't her type. He was immature, foolish, preachy, narrow minded, funny, smart, good looking…..

That was the drink talking damn it.

* * *

"Shepard I need your help brother" Garrus was saying as Miranda joined them and she looked at the Turian curious.

"What's up" asked Shepard.

"I've got my eye on that Quarian girl in the corner, the one we saw on the way in. I need you to be my wingman and distract her friend while I make my move" replied Garrus.

Shepard paused, glanced at the girl sitting with her Turian friend in the corner and looked at Garrus.

"Garrus" he said slowly, "Her friend is a guy…..he's trying to ask her out."

"What's your point" asked Garrus innocently.

"My point….Garrus a wingman distracts a girls _girlfriends_" replied Shepard incredulously. "What you're talking about is not me being your wingman, it's me being punched in the face by an angry Turian while _you_ hit on _his_ girlfriend.".

"Oh come on, kid's so far in the friend zone you'd be doing him a favour" replied Garrus with a grin.

"No" replied Shepard firmly.

"If the situation was reversed I'd do it in a second" sulked Garrus.

"Really" asked Shepard sarcastically.

"Absolutely, if you ever want to get punched by someone I will hit on his girlfriend for you" replied Garrus with a grin.

"Piss off" snapped Shepard laughing.

"Come on Brother 'A man's walking down the street one day'" protested Garrus.

"The key word there being 'man' not 'idiot'" replied Shepard.

"Coward" grumbled Garrus.

"Shut up and finish your drink. This is just like the General's daughter all over again" replied Shepard.

"That was different…..I thought she was his ADC" protested Garrus.

"Yeah who just happened to share the same surname" replied Shepard rolling his eyes and sitting back into the couch, "Well I've got to say this place isn't bad."

"Not compared to some of the places we've been thrown out of" agreed Garrus. Then he grimaced, "Of course usually you end up failing to hit it off with the object of your affection and we end up drinking together until the sun comes up…somehow taking you home isn't quite the same as some young female."

Shepard snorted, "I don't know what you're complaining about, you've done a lot worse than me. In fact you'd be lucky to have me as a girlfriend."

Jacob shuddered, "I'm just trying to imagine you as a woman Shepard….. and now I need another drink."

"I think you'd make a pretty girl Shep" teased Kasumi.

"Hey" retorted Shepard, "Can we get off this topic please."

"It's an idea I'll keep in mind if we ever have to repeat the Lazarus project" cut in Miranda dryly.

Garrus nearly choked on his drink he was laughing so hard, "Oh spirits…if it comes to that Miranda can you make him blonde with high cheek bones."

"I always saw Shep as a busty red head" cut in Kasumi grinning.

"Oh god….I'm going to vomit" groaned Jacob.

"I need another drink" added Shepard knocking his back.

* * *

The back and forth carried on. Jack, Zaeed and Grunt had started up a drinking game which Shepard put Garrus in charge of policing on the grounds that an infant shouldn't drink unsupervised even if he was Krogan.

Shepard unsurprisingly was mingling like a seasoned intelligence operative. Drifting from group to group, taking time to chat to everyone especially the new arrivals Thane and Samara.

Miranda found herself leaning on the wall, looking out of the window at the Illium skyline, wondering how someone turned a group of misfits into a fighting force that took down Eclipse on their home turf. She was lost in her own musings and so didn't notice Shepard sidle up to her.

"Penny for your thoughts" asked Shepard.

"I was thinking I need to head back to the Normandy and check my underwear draw to see if anything missing. Your recent obsession with the female gender is worrying" replied Miranda raising an eyebrow.

"I've been obsessed with the female gender since I was thirteen" countered Shepard lightly, far more used to this kind of playful verbal sparring than she was. "Come on admit it your glad you came out tonight."

Miranda sighed, "Maybe. But doesn't it worry you Shepard. This might be the last time you get to do this."

Shepard paused then shook his head, "Honestly…..no. No I'd rather be here than anywhere else right now….although I am hungry, do you think there's a pizza place that delivers round here."

Miranda sighed, "I thought you could cook."

"I can cook" replied Shepard, "But I'm not going back to the Normandy to make a start now."

"Somehow I never thought of you as a chef", he replied.

He shrugged, "I learned by necessity. When I got my first posting, as soon as I could afford it I got myself a little apartment near to the brigade barracks."

"I've seen the photos in your file" replied Miranda with a nod, "It wasn't exactly….elegant."

"Oh it was a dump" replied Shepard cheerfully, "Small, cold, damp. I was hardly there, on training deployments, courses or deployed on active service. But on the rare occasions I was home I liked having my own place. It was the first time in my life I'd had my own space, mine to do with what I liked."

Miranda paused then nodded, "Makes sense" she replied, "But what does that have to do with cooking?"

"Well I was on my own, so I had to cook for myself and since it was for me there was no point in cooking garbage, so I taught myself to cook. Turned out to be more useful than I'd have ever thought when I joined the special forces."

"How so" asked Miranda.

"Two hundred people on that selection course and three of us could cook properly, made us very popular on survival exercises. You haven't lived until you've tasted my home made sushi, raw brown trout cut up on a rock under a tarp in the middle of a howling gale on a mountain side."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Really" she asked disbelievingly.

Shepard nodded, "Ok the sushi may not have been my greatest success but I did win a lot of plaudits for my cooking."

Miranda paused and looked out at the Illium skyline, "Well if we ever end up trapped in the wilderness you can cook for me."

"I'll hold you to that" replied Shepard with a grin.

Then he glanced up, "Uh oh we've got trouble."

* * *

Miranda had already noticed Garrus and Jacob approaching them, she wondered what was going on.

"Shepard, you need to lend us two hundred credits" began Garrus.

"You really shouldn't" cut in Jacob.

"Are you having someone wacked" asked Shepard.

"In a manner of speaking. You remember Grunt officially became a man on Tuchanka" asked Garrus.

"Yeah but what…...oh you didn't…. you did, didn't you" groaned Shepard.

"Yeah, long story short there was an Asari dancer who'd finished up at a bachelor party and I've talked her in to staying on and as we speak she's giving Grunt a few dances but I'm a little short on credits."

Shepard glanced at Miranda, "I'm assuming I can't stick this on the Cerberus expenses account."

"That would be at the discretion of the senior Cerberus officer" replied Miranda.

"Which is you" said Shepard.

"Correct" she replied.

Shepard paused then nodded, "Right…..I'll get my wallet. We better pace ourselves; I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."

They carried on until the bar closed and Aethyta kicked them out with a few curses and good natured death threats.

To her surprise Miranda found she didn't slip away quietly, she found she enjoyed it, with Shepard especially. He was right, she needed to blow off steam, that must the reason why.

* * *

James woke up the next morning feeling a little tender. He showered and pulled on some fresh clothes and headed down to deck three and coffee. He found Garrus there looking how he felt.

"I didn't even know Turians could go that colour brother" he said sitting down.

"Neither did I…I blame you entirely for this" replied Garrus.

"We'll I've got something which'll put a smile back on your face Brother. We've got a meeting we're long overdue for" said Shepard with a grin.

In spite of his headache Garrus managed a sickly smile, "You mean our little friend who like threatening people with shotguns."

"Yep, it's time to get ourselves an engineer and there's only one girl for the job. She makes me look like a Cerberus poster boy so I'll need your help talking her round."

Garrus nodded, "You've got it Brother. Speaking of poster boys have you seen Miranda this morning?"

James looked at his friend and raised an eyebrow, "Garrus I could barely find my pants this morning what makes you think I could find Miranda."

Then he glared, "Don't say it, don't even think it."

Garrus snorted, "To easy Brother. I'm curious what our XO looks like with a hangover."

Shepard glanced up, "I'd say she pulls it off well" he replied groggily.

* * *

"Shepard, Garrus" she said nodding them a greeting, her voice soft and vaguely amused, lacking any trace of tiredness.

Shepard blinked bleary eyed. 'Eyes; clear, sharp, cerulean blue. Hair; clean, raven black and flowing. Skin; pale, soft white, unblemished. Uniform; spotless, perfectly turned out and as form fitting as never.

And an amused smile on her full lips.

How the hell did she show no signs of last night.

Shepard realised he was….looking, at Miranda and blinked quickly, "I….how are you feeling Miranda."

"Fine" she replied, "If you're ready we should head up to the CIC and plan our next move."

Shepard winced and looked at his friend, "Garrus…..we've met our match" he said softly.

"Quitter" commented Garrus.

"Stubborn bastard" replied Shepard standing up and grabbing his coffee, "Alright Miranda, lead the way just please, no loud noises."

* * *

Shepard stood in the elevator and leaned against the bulkhead and glared at her, "We've had like…..four hours sleep, how is it you look exactly like normal."

"What are you talking about my hair's a mess" replied Miranda.

Shepard tilted his head and looked hard at the shimmering mane of glossy jet black hair, falling to her shoulders, "…..Where?" he finally asked incredulously.

Miranda gave him a smirk in response and Shepard sighed, "A couple more nights like that and I'm going to need a new liver."

"I gave you one, you break it you can replace it" replied Miranda.

James smiled, "So other than the CO and most of the crew being hung-over are we good."

"The ship appears to be fully functional and we've made good progress in assembling a team. That said we are still lacking an engineer and it's a weakness that's starting to tell" replied Miranda.

Shepard nodded as the doors opened, "We'll let's deal with that" he replied leading the way to the CIC, "Morning Kelly. Joker we've got an old friend to find."

"Uh commander, the controls have been locked out remotely" replied Joker.

"Commander Shepard, the Illusive man wishes to speak to you" interjected Kelly.


	19. Chapter 19: 'The Holy Grail'

**Note: **Had a lot of fun with the last chapter, this one took me a while. Anyway hope you enjoy and please, good, bad or indifferent let me know.

* * *

**CH:19: 'The Holy Grail.'**

**Normandy SR-2 (Illium):**

Shepard looked at Miranda, "Any idea what's going on" he asked.

Miranda shook her head, "No" she replied her brow furrowing, wondering what was so important the Illusive Man hadn't had time to discuss it with her first.

Shepard shrugged, "Alright lets go see what the ring master wants."

"Maybe you should speak to him alone" commented Miranda.

"Maybe I shouldn't" replied Shepard, "Come on XO you're not leaving me to talk to your boss like this, my head feels like there's a Krogan square dancing on it."

Miranda gave a resigned sigh but she followed Shepard as he led the way towards the briefing room.

* * *

The Illusive Man was standing in shadow, looking at the image of the star behind him and smoking one of the ever present cigarettes.

"You know those things will kill you" commented Shepard, "I'm not suggesting you give them up or anything you understand, in fact I'd recommend chaining them.

Miranda glared at him but the illusive Man ignored the quip and spoke rapidly, "Shepard…Miranda, we caught a break. I intercepted a distress call from a Turian patrol, they stumbled onto a collector ship beyond the Korlus system. The Turians were wiped out, but not before they crippled the Collector vessel."

He sat down facing them without pausing in his speech.

"I need you to board that ship and get some hard data on the Collectors. Find us a way to get to their home word."

Miranda felt excitement inside her; this was it, the holy grail of intelligence work, a hard target to infiltrate and explore.

Shepard crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed, "What do you know about the condition of the Collector ship? Turians don't piss about in combat they atomise targets."

The Illusive man gestured with his cigarette as he spoke, "Reports indicate the hulls intact, but all systems appear to be offline."

Shepard glanced at her, "EMP" he suggested.

"Could be" agreed Miranda, "Or a computer virus attack."

"That's more Alliance tactics than Turians" replied Shepard.

"Regardless" cut in the Illusive man, "They could be making repairs as we speak. I'm not saying it won't be dangerous, but we can't let an opportunity like this slip by."

"Fine" replied Shepard, "But how long till a Turian C-SAR team crashes the party."

The Illusive Man lowered the cigarette and smiled smugly, "They will but I intercepted the transmissions. In the meantime we're feeding them false reports."

Miranda winced, 'Oh for the love of….'

"So Turian soldiers and sailors may be injured and dying with no rescue coming you son of a bitch" snarled Shepard.

The Illusive Man waved that away, "Your close enough that you can be in and out before the Turians learn the truth."

"And let me guess" replied Shepard, "Once again my coms fit will develop selective functionality if I try to warn them", he glared his eyes narrowed, "How do you know this information's good anyway."

The Illuive Man smiled, "Information is my weapon Shepard. It's good."

Shepard snorted, "Pride cometh."

He glanced at Miranda who maintained her cool exterior despite the excitement building inside her, this could be the breakthrough they'd been looking for.

Shepard sighed resignedly, "Send me the co-ordinates we'll take a look at it."

"Already sent" replied the Illusive Man, "Once you're on board establish an uplink with EDI. She'll mine their data banks for information regarding the Omega 4 relay."

Shepard nodded, "Anything else you want to mention, I'm not going to find any more of my old team on board am I?"

The Illusive Man gave him a cool look, "You have your objective Shepard."

"Yes I do" replied Shepard, "And for now at least it's the same as yours" he hit the button to kill the transmission and looked at Miranda, "Looks like we've got a new mission, I do love surprises."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "The information will be good Shepard you can rely on that."

"If it came from you I would" he replied, "But I never trust info from people who aren't willing to stick their own necks out based on their own data. No matter how good the intel eventually some poor bastard has to go and put it to the test."

Miranda nodded, "Yes that's true and the major reason the Alliance trains special forces."

Shepard snorted, "Touché, well lets go poke the hornet nest and see what fly's out."

* * *

**Normandy SR-2 (Deep Space):**

"Right this is a recon mission, in theory on a disabled ship, resistance is meant to be low to negligible" explained Shepard.

Garrus gave him a dubious look, "Sorry what language are you talking Bother only it sounds like bull shit."

Shepard nodded, "It's a little convenient I admit so I want to do this fast, get in, establish an uplink with EDI get the information we need, get out. The team will be me, Miranda for intel gathering, Mordin for scientific examination, Thane for his infiltration abilities."

"You want me out" asked Garrus incredulous, "You cannot be serious Shepard there's no way you're going over there without me."

Shepard looked at his friend hard, "I'm deadly serious Brother. I need you here for one simple reason. The last time the Normandy went toe to toe with a Collector ship there was no more Normandy. If it wakes up I need you on the guns if we're going to stand a fighting chance."

Garrus looked deeply unhappy, "Shepard you bought me here to watch your back."

"Which this time means staying put. I'm sorry Garrus, I know how you feel but it's my call."

Garrus was clearly very unhappy, he looked away, "Alright Shepard…...but watch yourself okay."

* * *

_Six hours later._

"We have a visual on the Collector ship commander" reported Joker as Shepard looked out the cockpit windows at the vast craft looming ahead of them.

"Very low emissions" reported EDI, "Passive infrared scans suggest most systems are offline. Thrusters are cold."

"Well it looks nice" commented Shepard, "If you like spooky as hell that is."

He looked at the Collector ship and wondered how may hostiles it could hold…..a full brigade group, five thousand no problem was his lowest estimate, maybe two if you packed them in tight.

So a four man recon team boarding a ship that might be carrying a division…..sounded about right for them.

"That thing is massive" exclaimed Joker glancing back at him, "How the hell did the Turians take it out."

Shepard didn't have an answer to that, "No sign of battle damage" he mused.

"LADAR scans do not detect any hull breaches on the side facing us" continued EDI, "I detect no mass effect field distortions. It appears that the core is offline."

"So a Collector ship undamaged and conveniently powered down so we can take a look around it" mused Shepard, "Way to easy."

He sighed, "We'll I guess someone has to put their head in the lions mouth. Let's go say hi."

* * *

He walked into the CIC to find Miranda there going over the readings on the sensor consul, she'd switched her usual black and white cat suit for a midnight black one and had a breathing mask and system clipped to her waist.

"New outfit Miranda" asked Shepard.

She shrugged, "It's tougher for hostile environments and the black's ideal for covert missions."

"Damn it" replied Shepard, "I'm wearing black to the party to, how embarrassing."

Miranda sighed, "You know Shepard one day I'm going to get the hang of talking to you."

"Don't count on it" put in Garrus emerging from the elevator.

"All set on the guns brother" asked Shepard.

"The guns are fine it's you I'm worried about. You know the old saying brother, if it looks like a varren, walks like a varren and snarls like a varren then it's probably an ambush" warned Garrus, "Don't get dead."

Shepard nodded, "I'll be careful brother you stay sharp over here."

Garrus nodded and they traded forearm grips, "See you in a couple of hours Shepard."

He stepped back and let Shepard pass and caught Miranda's eye, "Watch his back Miranda" he said softly.

"We'll be fine Garrus, the Illusive Man has invested too much in this project to allow it to fail with sloppy intelligence now" she replied.

Garrus sighed, "I hope your right Miranda. I truly do."

* * *

**Collector Cruiser.**

"Alpha's in" reported Shepard as they jumped from the hovering shuttle onto the deck, they spread out, alert for any threat.

"Unusual ship design" Mordin commented making rapid, jerky movements to take in the surroundings, "Hard to track lines, angles….disturbing."

Shepard was more concerned with scanning for threats than the architecture, but Mordin had a point. The ship was a weird combination of sharp, angular, metallic structures and bulbous, brown material that looked….almost organic. Technology and biology fused in some horrible combinations.

"Looks like a giant insect hive" Miranda commented.

"Why is it there's never a giant ant eater around when you need one" replied James as he scanned around.

Thane kept his own council, moving through the shadows like flowing water. The others were stealthy…..but he was practically invisible.

The silence was creepy, almost oppressive.

EDI spoke up, shockingly loud in the quite, "Penetrating scans have detected an access node to allow uplink with Collector databanks. Marking location to your hard suit computer."

"I don't suppose it's round the next corner" asked Shepard as they advanced swiftly, "No….of course not, where's the fun in that."

However he shut up quick at EDI's next announcement, "Shepard I have compared the ships EM signature to known Collector profiles. It is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."

"Maybe the defence towers softened her up….but where's the hull damage" mused Shepard as they advanced.

"Possible the missing colonists are still aboard" commented Mordin eagerly, "Likely hood of them being alive….statistically minimal."

"If we find them we pull them out" replied James firmly.

They approached the end of the corridor where some pods were sitting, "Thane cover us" ordered Shepard as they crept closer.

Mordin immediately went to work scanning and probing, clearly in scientific heaven. Miranda did a rapid assessment of the pods, taking about three seconds and looked at Shepard.

"They're the same containers the Collectors used on Horizon. The major difference being these ones are empty" she reported, her voice sounding faintly synthetic through her breathing mask.

James grimaced, "We'll I'm sure there are worse ways to die than being trapped in there until the Collectors are ready to cut you up…..but I'm damned if I can think of any."

"Personally can think of several" replied Mordin, "But general point is salient. Capture by Collectors inadvisable."

"That's why we're all coming back" replied Shepard resolutely.

* * *

They moved along further along the organic walkway with James becoming more and more convinced they were going where someone else wanted them to go.

They approached a pile of debris at the base of three pods, Shepard wondered for a second if it was wreckage from battle damage.

It wasn't.

"Fuck" he said quietly, "We've got bodies…..bits of them at least."

Miranda looked at them with a critical eye, "Why would the Collectors just leave a pile of bodies lying around" she asked.

"Test subjects from control group" Mordin hypothesised, "Discarded after experiment was over."

"Those poor souls" whispered Thane, breaking his silence for the first time.

James sighed grimly, "For the record I can now think of a worse way to die, being a test subject for twisted aliens."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better" asked Miranda in a humourless tone, "Because it didn't."

Shepard didn't respond for a moment, he looked at her and then the others, meeting there gazes. At last he spoke, "Nobody gets left behind" he said firmly.

* * *

They pressed on, no one wanting to linger. Shepard was thinking back to his resistance to interrogation training, the instructors has pulled no punches, literally and the thought of being trapped, unable to escape from beings who would do far worse was very unpleasant. With their backgrounds he was sure the others had similar experiences and feelings.

They came across another pod at the end of the corridor. Shepard stepped up and scanned in it with his omni tool, not sure what he was seeing.

"That's a collector" Miranda cut in frowning at the corpse in the pod, "Were they experimenting on one of their own."

"They wouldn't be the first species to do that" commented Shepard. He opened a channel "EDI I'm uploading the data from this terminal, see if you can figure out what we're looking at."

"Data received. Analysing" replied the AI. "The collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species and humanity."

"Why….please tell me this is not some weird breeding program" commented Shepard dryly.

"I have no hypothesis as to their motivations" replied EDO, "All I have are the preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable."

"Why do I get the feeling remarkable is AI speak for deeply screwed up" asked James.

"A quad strand genetic structure identical to traces collected from ancient ruins."

"No, that's impossible", gasped Miranda as she realised the shocking implications, "That would mean….".

"Only one likely conclusion based on available data" Mordin replied rapid fire.

Shepard looked at them both, "Ok you two, for the benefit of those poor idiots here without a degree in biochemistry or molecular genetics could you explain it."

"Shepard the only race with that structure anywhere are the Protheans" explained Miranda.

"Oh Christ, you mean the Protheans didn't vanish, they're just working for the Reapers….for fucks sake why can't we ever get the race of ancient super beings on our side."

"These are no longer Protheans Shepard" clarified EDI over the com, "There genes show distinct signs of extensive genetic re-write. The reapers have re-purposed them to suit their needs."

Shepard swore, "Why is this the first we're hearing of this."

"No one has had the opportunity to study a Collector genetic code in this much detail" explained EDI, "There are signs of extreme alteration. Three fewer chromosomes, reduced heterochromatin structure. Elimination of superfluous junk sequences."

"Shepard" interrupted Miranda feeling a sudden pang of grim realisation, "I just had a horrible thought."

"I know I'm going to regret this but what" asked Shepard.

"What do you suppose a whole species looks like once it's been completely indoctrinated" she asked.

Shepard looked at the collector, "You mean….this is a Prothean _Husk_….the Reapers didn't exterminate the Protheans, they turned them into monsters and enslaved them."

"A viable hypothesis" agreed Mordin.

"A crime of horrific brutality" put in Thane appalled.

Shepard sighed, "These poor bastards may be innocent in all this but they're tools of the enemy. We have to fight them and win, simple as that."

Miranda nodded resolutely, her voice hard, "They're not doing to us what they did to the Protheans."

"Your damn right they're not" replied Shepard. "Right let's get the job done and get out before their buddies drop by to salvage this vessel."

As they turned to go Shepard paused and knelt by the pod, "Looks like bodies aren't the only thing they left lying around" he commented standing up and displaying his prize.

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "That looks like a Geth anti-material rifle, M-98. With your bone and muscle weaves you should be able to handle it without breaking your arm or dislocating your shoulder."

"Baby now I've found you I'm never letting go" crooned Shepard theatrically to the rifle.

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Great that's just what we need, you with a bigger gun."

"Ignore her sweetheart" whispered Shepard to his new toy, "She doesn't understand the love between a man and his rifle."

* * *

Thane led the way, followed by James, Miranda and Mordin in that order.

Thane came to a stop and pointed upwards, "More pods" he whispered softly, "Many more."

"There must be hundreds of them" exclaimed Miranda, her voice echoing of the cavernous chamber they'd walked into, "How many do you think are full."

"One would be too many" replied James grimly.

"No life signs in pods" reported Mordin, "Suspect subjects died when ship lost primary power."

"Jesus, this has to end" muttered James leading the way up a ramp and along a corridor. He wished he had a target, something to fight, to take on and defeat. The constant silence and emptiness was getting on his last nerve. He wished he had Garrus with him, his friends dry jokes would be the ice breaker he needed now.

* * *

"Commander you got to hear this" cut in Joker suddenly.

"If it's the one about the stewardess, the Turian and the flea I've heard it and it's not funny", replied Shepard.

"On a hunch I asked EDI to run an analysis on the Collector ship" replied Joker.

"I compared the EM profile against the data recorded by the original Normandy two years ago. They are an exact match" explained EDI.

"Hmm, the same ship dogging me for you years, what are the odds" asked Shepard, then immediately regretted it.

"A regression method would indicate that statistically the odds of random error producing the pattern are highly improbable" chirped Mordin.

"It was rhetorical" explained Shepard.

"Something doesn't add up commander" cut in Joker, "Watch your back."

* * *

They climbed to the top of a ramp that looked disturbingly like a spinal column and into an open chamber…and stopped dead.

"Holy crap" commented Shepard as he stared upwards at the chamber large enough to contain an Alliance cruiser with room to spare and every deck, every bulkhead, the entire ceiling was lined with pods.

"They could take every human in the Terminus Systems and not have enough to fill these pods" said Miranda shocked.

"They're not after the Terminus are they" James said grimly.

"No" replied Miranda.

"Earth" Thane said with crushing finality.

"Greatest concentration of humans in Citadel space. Most likely choice" confirmed Mordin.

"Well some poor, dumb bunch of bastards is going to have to stop them" commented Shepard wryly as he lead the way.

They advanced a long a walk way and down towards a platform at the base of what was unmistakably a computer node.

"Thane rear guard" ordered Shepard, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise, something was badly wrong, his instincts were screaming at him louder with every step.

"Shepard we need to be careful" cautioned Miranda her voice tight, "Something doesn't feel right about this, where are the bodies of the Collector crew."

"Lack of Collectors, dead or alive…unsettling" commented Mordin.

"There is such a thing as a covert entry going too well Shepard" agreed Thane without taking his eyes of the rear.

"Yeah and it usually means you're walking into an ambush" sighed James. He pointed at the consul, "Miranda sort out the uplink we'll cover you."

Miranda nodded and stepped up to the consul, "Setting up bridge to Normandy now."

"EDI you should be getting a data hook up, see if you can get anything useful from the data banks" ordered Shepard his rifle in his shoulder as he scanned the ledges above for hostiles.

"Data mine in process Shepard" reported EDI.

There was a pause, then a thud and a flash of light and Miranda stumbled backwards shielding her eyes, "Son of a…." she snapped.

"Miranda you ok" asked James concerned.

"I'm fine" snapped Miranda turning to him but anything else was cut off by the sounds of machinery.

"Oh crap….commander….commander" Joker's voice sounded panicked.

"Joker" barked Shepard, before carrying on in a calm tone "Calm down we're fine. Take a breath then give me an update."

"Uh yeah, major power surge. Everything went dark but we're back up now."

EDI added more information, "I managed to divert the majority of the overload to non-critical systems. Shepard it was not a malfunction. This was a trap."

"Shepard, movement, three o'clock high" reported Thane.

"I see it, defensive positions" ordered James dropping into cover next to Mordin, "Engage on sight" he added.

Suddenly they were jerked upwards as the whole platform started to rise up the structure…..then out of it into thin air.

"EDI if I'd wanted to fly I would have been a pilot" said Shepard.

"I am having trouble maintaining connection. There is someone else in the system."

"EDI lock it down" ordered Miranda, "Protect the Normandy's systems."

She glanced at Shepard, while balancing precariously on the moving platform, "If they get in they could hit life support, engineering controls, weapons safeties….."

"Miranda you're the expert, you make the call" ordered Shepard still looking for a target.

Then the platform twisted hard, Mordin went down with a thump, Thane fell but rolled gracefully into a fighting crouch, James staggered but maintained his footing and somehow in spite of the high heels so did Miranda.

James hauled Mordin up, "Come on professor no sleeping on the job" he joked.

"Shepard incoming platform" reported Miranda as Thane tracked it with his rifle.

"This would be the trap then" commented Shepard dryly.

* * *

James started issuing orders quickly "Thane you and me keep them at a distance with our rifles. Miranda anything gets inside our arcs hit it hard, Mordin you're the back stop kill anything that gets close."

"Understood."

"Will comply."

"As you wish."

Jams dropped to one knee the new Widow rifle coming up as he sighted on the platform which was swarming with Collectors.

"Connection re-established" reported EDI, "I need to finish the download before I can override any systems."

"Get it done fast EDI we have company" ordered James. He exhaled gently, squeezed the trigger and a Collector on the incoming platform was blown apart.

Another Collector was engulfed in Miranda's biotic field and yanked up off the platform. She didn't bother to slam him into the ground, she just let him plummet to the floor thirty stories down. Then the platform reached theirs and the fight was on.

Thane opened fire, knocking down a drone's shields. Mordin set it on fire with an incineration blast then ducked into cover as the drone's companions opened fire.

James put a burst of incendiary rounds into the next drone, followed by another, the Collectors were firing back but they were manageable. Then a second platform docked at the rear of the first and he saw the Scion.

"Miranda, Thane eleven o'clock, put it down" he ordered. They both moved forward and hit the Scion with biotic blasts, stripping away its armour, but just then another platform came flying in on their right, pinning the two biotics in the open under heavy fire. "Ah….felt that one" commented Miranda dryly as a blast tore apart her shields, stopping just short of ripping her head off.

Gritting his teeth James vaulted the barricade and moved forward, dumping a huge dose of adrenalin into his bloodstream from his armour's systems. Time slowed, his reflexes sharpened, he bought up his battle rifle and fired two bursts into the Scion, driving it back before putting a high velocity shot into it. It stumbled backwards and Mordin finished it off with an incineration blast.

Shepard ducked into cover behind a stack of crates with a grin, rolled over and came up the other side…..face to face with a Collector glowing with burning yellow light.

* * *

Miranda saw the glowing Collector and moved to hit it with her biotics, but Shepard was in the way. The Collector raised a hand but Shepard was faster, he ducked inside the collectors guard and slammed his rifle's stock into the Collector's chest sending it staggering backwards. In a flash he drew his combat blade and sliced it across the collectors eyes before hammering it point down into the collectors head. But he'd over extended himself.

The glowing collector hit Shepard with a backhanded blow, not hard enough to do any damage but it knocked Shepard off balance long enough for the Collector to unleash a wave of dark energy which smashed into Shepard and sent him staggering backwards.

"**Face your annihilation."**

The Collector extended its hand and unleased a biotic blast which tore apart Shepard's shields.

"Shepard down" Miranda yelled charging her biotics.

He vaulted backwards his armour scorched and rent and as he did he cleared Miranda's line of fire.

She unleashed a warp blast which ripped down the glowing Collector's shields and ripping apart its armour. Miranda advanced on it firing waspish bursts from her SMG.

The Collector turned and faced her, his face was torn and Shepard's knife was imbedded in its face it's eyes like tiny black holes, boring into her, assessing her in the same way she would regard a lab rat.

"**Human; viable possibility, impressive genetic malleability."**

It extended its hand and unleashed a burning yellow biotic field at her. Miranda met it her own biotics, icy blue and burning yellow energy met and lashed at each other in a building storm. Miranda focused, pouring power into the battle but she felt herself weakening. The Collector was impossibly powerful…..but she had an advantage…..the team.

"Krios, detonate it now" Miranda ordered her eyes fixed on the building biotic tempest.

Thane's warp blast struck the combined mass effect field and detonated it in a thunderous explosion which sent the Collector flying backwards into a barrier with a sickening crack. Miranda let out a breath as Shepard emerged from the fallen crates, battered but resolute his pistol levelled at the fallen Collector. He fired twice and the collectors head exploded.

Behind him Mordin finished off the last Scion and for a moment they were clear.

Shepard reached down and pulled his combat knife from the dead Collector's skull, wiping the blade down and sheathing it. He glanced at them, "Nice move guys, get into cover and be ready for the next wave."

He dropped into cover next to Miranda, reloading his rifle. He glanced at Miranda "Good call with the biotics, we need to remember that one" he said with a smirk on his face.

"What" she asked puzzled by the smirk.

"Human; viable possibility, impressive genetic malleability" he replied grinning, "Someone's got a thing for you Miranda."

She rolled her eyes, "Really Shepard."

"Hey he's got good taste" replied Shepard still smirking.

"In coming platform, left side" called Thane.

"But lousy timing" added Shepard, "Okay let's do this, hit them head on."

* * *

James led the way onto the new platform, vaulting onto it even as it docked with Miranda and Thane at his side. They arrived just in time to see another Collector rise in a golden glow as the other three opened fire on them.

"**We are Harbinger. You are Vermin."**

"I wear that badge with pride" replied Shepard hitting it with a high powered shot, "Miranda with me, Thane, Mordin go right. Hit their barriers with biotics and don't let Harbinger over there get close."

Shepard led them forward, his rifle snapping disruptor rounds which cut through the Collectors barriers. He gunned down the nearest drone and dived into cover as the remaining two Collectors opened fire on him.

Miranda took the opportunity to hit the second one with a biotic blast which tore its barriers apart, "Now let's finish you off" she snapped under her breath, cutting down the wounded collector with her SMG before dropping down behind cover to reload.

Thane and Mordin double teamed the last drone, cutting it down with a and incineration blast and a biotic blast that tore it apart, "Go to the sea" the assassin said softly as he tore the drone apart. A moment later a golden ball of energy struck him, burning away his barriers and throwing him to the ground where he lay unmoving.

Harbinger emerged and advanced on the now isolated Mordin,

James saw Thane fall and felt his blood boil. He stepped out of cover and advanced on Harbinger, firing bursts into the Collector, "Come on you son of a bitch" he snarled, "You want me I'm right here."

Harbinger turned towards him and returned fire, its assault rifle spitting bullets which glanced off Shepard shields. He activated the adrenalin boosters in his armour and his perception sharpened, he dodged right even and opened fire, but he saw another platform docked behind them with a Scion on it.

"Miranda, Mordin new threat, kill it" he barked and they moved in on the Scion as it unleashed a blast on them.

"Solus I'll keep it pinned, you burn its armour" ordered Miranda coolly,

James moved back, trying to draw it away from Thane.

"84% transmitted" sent EDI.

Shepard ignored her and focused on Harbinger as it advanced on him.

"**And now you stand alone, Shepard."**

James ducked, right, rolling to avoid a biotic blast which would have cremated him and put two bursts of disruptor rounds into Harbinger, dropping its barriers, "Fuck you" he replied and put a single high velocity round into its chest.

Harbinger dropped to its knees.

"**You cannot kill me, Shepard."**

James let his empty rifle fall of his sling and levelled his Phalanx, "Guess again" he replied and fired four rounds into Harbinger's head.

James looked up but Miranda and Mordin had killed the Scion. He quickly turned to Thane and remotely activated the Drell's medi gel system. Groggily the assassin opened his eyes and pushed himself up.

"My thanks Shepard….." he began.

James pointed to yet another descending platform with four more Collectors, "Talk later, snipe now" he replied lifting his assault rifle and putting a burst into the first one even as it vaulted a barrier to close on Miranda.

"**Assuming Control."**

"This guy is really starting to piss me off" commented Shepard as he moved to support Miranda and Mordin while Thane opened fire with his rifle.

* * *

After what seemed like hours but in fact was only minutes the third Harbinger drone fell under a concentrated barrage of fire, biotics and incineration blasts and suddenly there were no more Collectors.

"Shepard" EDI suddenly chimed in, "You must manually establish my link to the command consul."

"Mordin get on that, Miranda police the bodies for intel. Thane with me, we need clips" ordered Shepard.

Miranda nodded and turned to obey, her heart pounding and fighting to keep a savage smile of satisfaction of her face.

The Collectors had tried to trap them and had paid for their arrogance.

Their scavenging done they converged on the centre consul where EDI's hologram appeared.

"I have regained control of the platform Shepard" she reported.

"Some of your best work" replied Shepard with a grin.

"I always work at optimal capacity" replied the AI.

Shepard nodded as the platform rose and flew towards the exit, "Okay. Million credit question, did you get what we needed."

"I found data that will help us navigate the Omega four relay" replied EDI.

'Eureka' thought Miranda and allowed herself a small smile. This was it, this was the game changer, the information that would let them put a stiletto through the Collectors heart.

"I have also found the Turian distress call that served as the lure for this trap" continued EDI as the platform touched down. "The Collectors were the source. It is unusual."

"Why" asked Shepard sounding puzzled, "Seems logical. The Collectors send out a false signal to bait us in."

"It is unusual because Turian emergency channels have secondary encryption", clarified EDI, "It is corrupted in the message."

"Ok…so what" asked Shepard, Miranda began to feel a horrifying realisation creep up on her….no…. no that was impossible.

"It is not possible that the Illusive Man would believe the distress call was genuine."

Shepard nook a step forward, his eyes hard, "Are you sure" he asked.

"I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols" explained EDI, "He wrote them."

"Bastard son of a bitch betrayed us. Sent us right into the Collectors trap" muttered Shepard.

Miranda stared at him stunned beyond belief as the ramification of his words sank in.

Shepard looked grim and angry.

…..and totally unsurprised.

"No there has to be some other explanation" Miranda stammered, shocked beyond reason, "The Illusive Man wouldn't do this...he….he just wouldn't."

"Data indicates deception and betrayal by Illusive Man most credible theory" commented Mordin.

Miranda was about to yell at the Salarian when Shepard cut in, "No Mordin you have to trust someone to be betrayed by them. This just confirms my impressions of the treacherous bastard."

His words were softly and calmly spoken but there was a grim finality to them that killed Miranda's protest before she could give voice to them.

Shepard took a deep breath, "Time to exfiltrate, they know we're here so we need to stay sharp and move fast."

"Uh commander, we've got another problem", cut in Joker over the com, "The collector ship is powering up."

"Make that really fast" replied Shepard leading them off at a run as a low buzzing hummed through the corridor


	20. Chapter 20: Extraction

**CH: 20: Extraction.**

**Collector Cruiser:**

Shepard led the way through a series of running battles with collector Drones. Twice Harbinger made an appearance. Each time James used its focus on him to their advantage, moving round its flanks and giving Miranda and Thane a clear shot with their biotics before he and Mordin finished it off with high velocity shots and incineration blasts.

"He's down" reported Miranda coolly as they killed him the second time, her focus on the mission, clearly not wanting to think about what they'd just learned.

James didn't have time for a chat he led them onwards.

Finally they emerged into an ante chamber, with a door leading towards their shuttle pick up.

"**Drones ineffective, deploying Pretorian."**

* * *

"Shit, concentrate fire" ordered Shepard levelling his battle rifle at the floating construct and activating the incendiary mod.

"Shepard, Husks" warned Miranda.

"Christ. Miranda, Mordin watch our flanks. Thane you and me take down its armour" replied Shepard as he opened fire, stitching short, fiery bursts of incendiary rounds into the things barriers.

It responded with two searingly bright particle beams which slashed towards the columns where Shepard and Thane were kneeling. Shepard vaulted out of the way of the electric blue energy beams, but they grazed his shields and promptly overloaded them. "Shit they're through my shields" he snapped as he dived for the floor.

The beam cut out and Thane hit the Pretorian with a biotic blast….Shepard's armours sensors showed its barrier's weaken but they held and the construct kept coming.

James rolled into a crouch and unslung his brand new M-98, activating the disruptor mod and lifting the heavy rifle as the construct appeared around the corner.

James hit the adrenal boost in his armour, tracked the Pretorian as it emerged and hit it with a heavy slug from the widow, hammering the things barriers. It kept coming, but its shields finally collapsed.

James rose as the adrenalin boost ended, "Thane hit it" he shouted as the Pretorian unleashed another particle beam. He felt the beam skim the surface of his re-charging shields burning them away.

James dived forwards underneath the construct as Thane unleashed a bioitic blast which ripped open the Praetorian's armour. However James's move had taken him under the construct's path and he looked up at the horrific combination of technology and Husks, just in time to see it drop towards him.

James rolled out of the way just in time as the construct slammed into the deck where he had been a moment before with the force of a bomb blast. Then it unleashed a wave of dark which hammered towards him… at the last second a biotic field enveloped him, shielding him from the blast.

* * *

Barriers were far from her speciality. Miranda had almost always worked alone or with people who were hired guns and so expendable. She'd focused her training on using her biotics aggressively or to defend herself.

Now she poured all her energy and focus into shielding Shepard from the wave of dark energy. She held it, keeping the burning energy away from him, she felt blood pounding in her ears and her vision constricted to a narrow tunnel. But she held it off Shepard.

The blast washed over him and dissipated and like lightning he rose, and twisted, his pistol levelled….._at her head._

He pulled the trigger and unleashed a single high velocity round. Miranda flinched, what the hell he was doing.

The round whistled past her ear…..and decapitated the Husk about to leap on her back.

She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, "Nice shot" she said.

"You to" he replied with a wink before twisting back to the Pretorian as it rose up and turned back towards them. Miranda could see its armour was warped and ripped, but now its barriers had regenerated and it turned back towards them.

"Shepard we can't keep this up, we need a new strategy" Miranda shouted.

"I'm open to suggestions" replied Shepard dodging out of the path of the next particle beam that slashed through the air towards him and diving into cover.

"We need anti-armour weapons" Miranda replied, "Specifically your ML-77."

"It won't get through the barriers" replied Shepard.

"We'll wear them down, give you a shot" replied Miranda charging her biotics.

"Good plan, one problem. It'll target you as you hit it and it'll win" replied Shepard. "Wait for me to draw its fire first, when its focused on me take a shot. When it switches to you I'll hit it."

"Shepard you'll be torn apart, don't be a bloody fool" she shouted.

"About ten years too late for that" replied Shepard rising and putting a high velocity round into the Pretorian, "Let's do this."

* * *

James fell back firing at the Pretorian , which immediately closed in on him and unleased another particle beam at him. He waited until the last possible second before activating his armours adrenalin boost and darted right away from the beam still firing. He saw the others unleash biotic and incineration blasts at the Praetorian's back, stripping away its barriers.

Under the concentrated barrage the Pretorian staggered, turned and focused its attention on Mordin. James moved before it could open fire, swinging up the ML-77 and hitting the Pretorian with three rockets dead centre.

The construct staggered under the impact and then once again slammed into the floor, unleashing a wave of dark energy which lashed out at them.

They stumbled backwards as the wave hammered towards them. Fortunately they were far enough back the wave just stunned rather than vaporise them. By the time they were back in the game the Pretorian was rising back up its barriers fully restored, to make matters worse more Husks were pouring into the room.

"Shit" murmured Shepard putting one down with a high velocity shot to the chest.

"Shepard we're going to get overwhelmed, we need to finish this" shouted Miranda as she slammed a Husk into the ground, breaking its back while Mordin killed a third with a neural shock.

James sprinted to fresh cover as the Pretorian opened fire again, its particle beam chasing him…and a plan started to form. "Forget the armour. Mordin, Husks. Thane, Miranda just hit the barriers" he ordered loosening the webbing belt round his chest.

"Copy that" replied Miranda and without pause they opened fire. Mordin firing at the Husks while Thane and Miranda hit the Pretorian with warp blasts, stripping away the constructs barriers. James added several bursts from his rifle to the fusillade in between avoiding the particle beam.

He waited until the construct's shields dropped and hit the adrenalin boost in his armour, twisting and sprinting towards the construct, under its particle beam.

James dodged left and firing his pistol as he ran, putting incendiary rounds into the thing and in the same movement pulled the pins. Thane followed it up with a biotic blast and the Pretorian twisted and dropped towards the ground….just as James threw the belt of grenades underneath it.

* * *

Half a dozen grenades detonated with the force of a bomb and tore the Pretorian apart in a thunderous roar. James dropped flat to the ground as the blast washed over him. He rolled over onto his back, sitting up to make sure it was over…it was.

"Everyone okay" he asked.

He checked…..Thane was up, looking completely unruffled….Mordin to with a bemused expression…..Miranda, with a look of intense annoyance, which dissolved slowly to a rueful smile.

"That was….unorthodox Shepard."

He shrugged, "You can say it, it was really stupid…..worked though. Are you good."

"Always" she replied with a weak smile, they were all tired but they had to move.

"Right let's get the hell out of bandit country" ordered Shepard.

They moved towards the open door….which promptly closed, "EDI we have a problem here" Shepard reported.

"A temporary setback on firewall 3217, rerouting commands through….."

"EDI spare me the details" cut in Shepard, "Just get the door open."

"I have successfully opened door on the opposite wall" replied EDI.

"At a girl, everybody move" ordered Shepard checking his team, they were tired but determined.

"Shepard this is where we came in" reported Thane.

"We must be getting close to the end" added Miranda matter-of-factly.

"Don't get all exited on me Miranda" replied Shepard with a grin, he paused and cocked his head, "Sorry was waiting for Garrus to make a joke" he explained as they moved on.

* * *

They found more Collectors, Drones and Gaurdians with their fixed barriers, on the high ground blocking their path and this time there were Husks to, advancing on them with low groans.

The collectors held the high ground and they had heavy weapons but there was cover and shadows and more importantly this was the sort of fight commandos lived for. James left Thane and Miranda to cover them and moved swiftly round the Collectors flanks, targeting the ones with heavy beam guns first, dodging round their fire lanes to take the high ground.

Harbinger made another appearance but James attack had him outflanked and trapped between two groups, twenty seconds of sustained fire and he was shredded.

"**You have only delayed the inevitable."**

"You know I hope you feel it every time" replied Shepard pushing on up the ramp, his M-5 drawn.

There was a Drone at the top, it aimed its rifle and opened fire but James was faster levelling his pistol and firing repeatedly at close range, the heavy rounds blowing holes in the drone's chest. It dropped to the ground lifeless, black fluid seeping from the wounds.

Suddenly they held the high ground and the Collectors were in a kill zone beneath them

James took up a position and opened fire, calling Miranda and Thane up to join him and Mordin. "You alright" he asked Miranda as she dropped into cover next to where he was crouched sniping.

In response she grabbed a Collector guardian with her biotics and yanked it into the air before bringing it down with a sickening crunch, "I'll crush them if I have to" she snapped back, "Now let's do this."

James nodded and together the four of them finished the last of the Collectors in a volley of gunfire, biotics and tech blasts.

James ejected the clip from his rifle and re-loaded, "Ones last mush people then I am buying you all a drink."

* * *

Tired, sore and low on ammo they pushed onto the last stretch.

"Uh Commander those weapons are powering up" cut in Joker, "You might want to hurry up before they you know blow us in half."

Shepard didn't reply, instead he opened a channel, "Jacob do not risk the ship. I say again do not risk the Normandy, if those weapons power up you jump to FTL."

"We're not leaving you Commander" replied Jacob firmly over the comm.

Shepard sighed as they ran, "It would be now he learns to question orders."

"You have a way of bringing something out of people Shepard" replied Miranda.

"Is that so" asked James with a grin.

"For example" she said with a smile, "You constantly bring out migraine headaches in me."

In spite of the situation, for a split second, James couldn't help but enjoy her smile.

* * *

They came round the corner to the ramp down to the shuttle…and into the mob of Husks.

"Rolling barrage" ordered James dropping to one knee, his rifle blazing as he cut down the leader.

They poured a volley of fire into the onrushing creatures, Shepard directing their strikes through his HUDs command up link.

Miranda squeezed the trigger of her Carnifex rhythmically, aiming one handed, in her other hand she gestured and tore a Husk apart with her biotics.

Mordin's neural shock killed another on the spot, its heart exploding.

Thane dropped two more with pin point head shots.

James's adrenalin heightened reflexes let him cut them down in quick succession as they charged. His rifle ran dry and he drew his shot gun, blasting husks at close range, blowing apart heads and punching huge holes in chests.

Then suddenly there were no more Husks and they sprinted to the shuttle.

* * *

They were almost there when with a low moan Husks came pouring out of a door behind them.

"Rolling fall back, by the numbers" ordered Shepard turning and opening fire on the Husks.

Slowly the team fell back, weapons blazing. James dropped a Husk with a high impact shot to the head, Mordin incinerated another, Miranda grabbed a third with her biotics, lifted in up and bought it down on top of the next one, crushing them both.

They held the line, falling back in pairs, one firing while the other fell back then covered their partner's retreat. They held the Husks back, it was close but it's was working.

Then the com crackled, "We're out of time commander we have to go" Joker sent his tone urgent, almost desperate.

"I'm last man out, everyone on the shuttle now" James ordered his rifle raised as he poured fire into a group of onrushing Husks, covering them, "Move" he added for emphasis.

Waited until he was sure the others were on board, then turned and sprinted for the shuttle as the Husks swarmed behind him, "We're on let's go" he yelled pulling the hatch closed behind him.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2:**

Garrus was in the cargo bay with Grunt as the shuttle touched down on the deck, "Shuttles down" he yelled into the intercom.

"Strap in we're out of here" yelled Joker as he hit the throttle and banked the Normandy over hard, just avoiding a plasma beam from the Collector ship, "EDI get us the hell out of here."

"Specify a destination Mr Munroe" replied the AI.

"Anywhere that's not here" replied Joker desperately dodging more plasma beams.

"Very well. Engaging mass effect core."

* * *

In the shuttle the violent jerk caught them off balance and sent them slamming to the floor.

Shepard landed on his back hard and swore as someone landed on top of him. Then he felt the momentary sickening feeling of a FTL translation and knew that for the moment they were safe.

He sat up painfully about to say some rude and thoughtless things to the person on top of him and then realised it was Miranda. Tired and off balance she apparently hadn't kept her footing either and blinked surprised, her face centimeters from his.

Shepard sound himself looking into her eyes, they were very, very blue. He got a whiff of soap and a subtle perfume and wondered for a second what he smelt of to her, sweat, blood and explosives presumably.

She didn't seem to mind though. They held each other's gaze, both frozen in the moment.

Then Miranda blinked and the spell was broken, "Shepard…I, I'm sorry" she stammered sitting up.

James fell back on his first line of defence, bad jokes. "Honestly Miranda I'm flattered but I'm not that kind of girl. I never put out on the first date" he laughed propping himself up on his elbows.

Miranda snorted, "In your dreams Shepard" then she winced, "Don't say it Shepard or I will hurt you."

He grinned, "Too easy Miranda, I'll let you off that one for free. Next one's going to cost you."

She rolled her eyes…..but smiled as she did.


	21. Chapter 21: 'Reap what you sow'

**CH: 20: Reap what you sow.**

**Normandy SR-2:**

They disembarked, looking beaten up but resolute.

"Well that was interesting….next time we use a different travel agent" joked Shepard.

Miranda smiled weakly at the bad joke, "Shepard we need to discuss the mission."

"Agreed" agreed Shepard, "But not now, first weapons to the armoury, shower, change and get some food in us especially you and Thane. You've been slinging biotics around like there's no tomorrow, I hate to think how much energy you've burned."

Miranda shrugged, "I can manage Shepard….."

"Miranda" he cut in gently, "We need to approach this with clear heads not pumped on adrenalin. In two hours we'll call a full squad meeting and hash all this out."

Miranda nodded with a sigh, she could do what was required of her but his tone was firm and in her heart of hearts she didn't want to disobey. She wanted to get clean and approach this with a clear mind.

"Very well Shepard" she replied.

Shepard nodded, "Right I'll see you all in a couple of hours."

Miranda turned to leave, her mind racing. Shepard seemed okay but the revelations of the Collector ship would have ramifications. If he stopped trusting her now...it would be problematic.

* * *

It took James fifteen minutes to head to the CIC, make sure the ship was clear of the threat, secure his weapons in the armoury and get up to his Cabin. But in that time he could feel the fault lines forming, the hushed whispers, the sidewise glances.

James stripped off and secured his armour, splashed water into his face. He glanced in the mirror and noticed his scars we're almost completely invisible now, only when the light hit them the right way was there the briefest flash of something….the healing power of laughter.

He was procrastinating, he had a problem.

The team was fracturing.

He had to pull them together.

He stared into the mirror his mind racing, 'Be yourself Shepard, follow your instincts.'

Any trust in Cerberus and the Illusive Man had been shaken.

He needed to lead them, to get them to trust him and trust each other instead.

* * *

_Two hours later:_

James headed down onto the CIC to call the squad together when Joker's voice came over the com, "Uh Commander the Illusive Man's on the line in the briefing room. Figure you've probably got a few words for him."

James paused, took a deep breath and when he spoke his voice was cool and controlled, "Thanks Joker I'll deal with it."

He activated his Omni tool com, "Miranda I've got Genghis Khan on the line…." he began.

"I heard" she replied, "I'll meet you there."

* * *

The Illusive Man was waiting eagerly for them.

"Shepard, Miranda, looks like EDI extracted some interesting data before the collector ship came back online."

"You know I couldn't possibly care less. You put my ship and my team in danger through your lies again and the only reason I'm talking not shooting is we took no casualties" replied James.

"We needed information on the Omega four Relay" explained the Illusive Man patiently, "That required direct access to Collector data. It was to good an opportunity to pass up."

"True and irrelevant" snapped back Shepard. "You give me the information and I make the decisions on how to proceed. I would have got the data whatever because I am damn good at my job and if I'd known it was a trap I would have deployed accordingly."

"I put you at risk yes" agreed the Illusive Man patronisingly, "But without that information we don't reach the collector home world and you and every other human may as well be dead…."

"We" snapped Shepard coldly, "What's this _we_. Understand something you treacherous slime ball it's my team taking risks, until you join us and walk point with a pack and a rifle _you_ are not part of _we_."

"It was a trap" admitted the Illusive Man, "But I was confident in your abilities and don't forget EDI, the Collectors couldn't have anticipated her…."

"You just don't get it do you" replied Shepard shaking his head, "It doesn't matter what our odds were you put my people at risk through your manipulations."

"This information is essential Shepard. Casualties would have been acceptable" replied the Illusive Man.

Anger, disbelief and incredulity warred inside Miranda. Did he really not trust them to complete the mission?

Hadn't they proved their competence?

Hadn't they proved their willingness to accept risks?

Hadn't they proved their loyalty?

Hadn't she?

That information could have made the difference between success or failure. If they'd had it then they would have been able to accomplish so much more at a reduced risk.

Before she could speak Shepard did, he didn't shout but spoke softly, his voice full of deadly menace.

"Your intel is now red flagged. I don't care what your guarantees are you will not put the lives of my team at risk. Our relationship has just entered a new phase, you are now a hostile source."

"It's never that simple" replied the Illusive Man, "You of all people should know that."

"I know this, the Collectors I can handle but you…you're not worth the effort of arguing with.."

"This is not time for petty grudges" barked the Illusive Man impatiently.

"This isn't a grudge it's a tactical assessment. I judge you to be unreliable" replied Shepard.

"Things are about to get a lot tougher" snapped the Illusive Man, "EDI confirmed our suspicions. The reapers and Collector ships use an advanced Identify Friend Foe system that the relays recognise. All we need to do is get our hands on one of those IFFs."

"Hmm well it's a shame I wasn't recently on a Collector Ship" replied Shepard, "Oh wait…."

"EDI just found it, besides you wouldn't have had time to retrieve it" replied the Illusive Man.

"You don't know me at all do you" countered Shepard dryly, "That's why I have a team jackass to cover all the bases."

"We have options" explained the Illusive Man ignoring the insult, "An Alliance science team recently determined that the Great rift on the planet Klendegen is actually an impact crater from a mass accelerator weapon. A very old mass accelerator."

"Miranda wake me up when he says something I need to care about" said Shepard dryly.

"I sent a team to find either the weapons or its target, they found both" explained the Illusive Man, "They found both. The weapon was defunct but it helped us find its target, a thirty seven million year old derelict reaper. We found it damaged and trapped in the gravity of a brown dwarf."

"Aren't Brown dwarfs basically stars that didn't make it" asked Shepard

"Simply put but accurate….", began the Illusive Man.

"I don't need an astrophysics lesson. Miranda what's the practical impact going to be" asked Shepard.

Miranda frowned, "Gale force winds and extremely high temperatures. Electromagnetic interference, gravitational fluctuations and quite possibly radiation pulses."

The Illusive man sighed, "The Reaper has a mass effect field that keeps it in orbit, likely an automated response to the external threats. Its stable but I won't call it safe."

"You know this reminds me of that time this lying bastard sent me and my people into a trap" commented Shepard.

"This will be risky Shepard. We lost contact with Doctor Chandanar's team shortly after they boarded. It was too risky to commit more resources, but now we need that IFF. I'll forward the coordinates to Joker. In the mean time I suggest you tell your crew I didn't risk their lives unnecessarily, it will make things easier going forward."

"You know I could" mused Shepard, "Or I could tell them the truth…..think I'll run with that. As for the Reaper given how your last bit of intel went I might just blow it out of the sky it on sight to be on the safe side. We'll see how I feel."

* * *

"So the Illusive Man didn't sell us out" asked Jacob, "Could have fooled me."

"Lied to us" commented Mordin pacing up and down, "Used us. Needed access to the Collector databanks. Was a mistake to trust Cerberus in the first place. My own fault. Got complacent."

"No" cut in James firmly, "Not your fault mine. Ultimately I am responsible for the safety of the team. We got caught out because I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Does this mean we're finally done with this Cerberus bull shit" asked Jack casting a glance at Miranda who's eyes narrowed.

"Who do you think is making all of this possible" she asked dangerously.

"Fuck you" replied Jack, "Cerberus screws people, always has always will."

"Cerberus is the only reason any of us are here" replied Miranda coolly

"I'm here for Shepard" replied Garrus.

"Yeah well I'm here for my pay check" cut in Zaeed, "As long as Cerberus foots the bill doesn't matter what the job is."

"The Illusive man made an unwise choice" Samara commented her voice level and calm amongst the angry voices, "However no one was killed as a result, the intent may have been ill but no act of injustice was committed."

"Only because Shepard was there" snapped Garrus giving Miranda and Jacob a hard look. "Same old story, we get screwed and he cleans up the mess."

"Hey Shep wasn't the only one on that ship" snapped Kasumi, "We work together, isn't that how this team works."

"Shepard is our Battle Master" growled Grunt, "It is our duty to follow him, only the weak or cowardly would fail to do so."

"We've always got his back" confirmed Jacob defensively.

"Yeah" snapped Jack, "Oh Cerberus takes care of Shepard all right, he's a big investment. But the rest of us, we're cannon fodder."

"Fortunately for you Shepard disagrees, _he_ sees the potential in everyone. I'm less patient" responded Miranda acidly.

"Screw you" spat Jack.

"Right that is enough, all of you" barked Shepard standing up and slamming his palm on the table. He'd remained silent as the argument escalated. Now he chose his moment, his voice was loud but not angry.

"Yes we got screwed well I've got news for you, that's what happens. Those at the sharp end always get screwed by the higher ups. It comes with the territory. Sometimes it's accidental, a well-meaning oversight, sometimes it's deliberate. That doesn't make it right, doesn't mean you shouldn't be pissed off, or that you should accept it, but we have to expect it."

He took a breath then glanced round the table, "Take a look at everyone sitting here. Do it now."

Slowly they looked at each other, glaring daggers for the most part. Miranda and Jack exchanging particularly hostile looks.

Shepard carried on in a quiet but firm tone, "These are the people who are going to bring you home. These are the people who are going to help you succeed. The people sitting at this table, the ones who stand at your shoulder. They are the only ones you can depend on and the only ones you need. Together we will win this and we will come home.

You're my team and I will look after you, occasionally I will get it wrong like today and take us into a situation we're not ready for. When that happens I trust you to look after me and each other. United we stand, divided we're dead."

He paused and looked at them each individually his expression sincere and resolute, most couldn't meet his gaze. "I will deal with the fallout from this. I will make sure we aren't sent into harm's way under false pretenses again. The only things you need to decide are, do you trust me to watch out for you and are you still part of the team."

He looked at them all hard, gazing round the table. Some looked away, some met his gaze. "Anyone who wants out come and see me in the next forty eight hours, no one has to stay but if you do your part of the squad. Now I need to speak to the mission team, Jacob and Garrus stay to please. The rest of you take some time out, blow off some steam and remember what I said."

* * *

Once the others had filed out James turned to EDI.

"Right first things first, EDI are you sure this IFF the Illusive Man talked about is going to work" he asked.

"My analysis is accurate Shepard" replied the AI as close to irritated as was possible for a machine, "I have also determined the approximate location of the Collector home world based on navigational data from their vessel."

"Miranda" asked James innocently, "I think EDI may be spending too much time with you, she's picking up that 'Shepard you fuckwit' tone you're so good at."

"It is a scientific fact that any woman who spends enough time with you will develop that Shepard" cut in Garrus with a grin.

Further arguing was interrupted as EDI bought up a holographic star chart, Mordin and Miranda instantly leaned in closer.

"That can't be right" Miranda said sounding puzzled.

James looked at the star chart and realised why, "Uh EDI any chance you've got a bug or something."

"My calculations are correct" replied the AI defiantly sounding pissed off with him, "The Collector home world is located within the galactic core.

"Can't be" replied Jacob sceptical, "The core's just black holes and exploding suns, there are no habitable planets there."

"Sounds a lot like your love life Garrus" commented Shepard.

"Could be an artificial construction" hypostasised Mordin, "Space station protected by powerful mass effect fields and radiation shields."

"Even the Collectors don't have that kind of technology" challenged Miranda.

"Reapers" said James softly, "They built the mass relays, the Citadel…what do we think could they build a space station surrounded by black holes."

"Possibly" commented Miranda her eyes narrow.

"Certainly viable with correct technology, just a matter of resources and time" agreed Mordin.

"Hell of a defensive position" added Shepard, "Let the terrain beat the enemy for you."

"The logical conclusion is that a small safe zone exists on the other side" explained EDI, "A region where ships can survive. Standard relay transit protocols would not allow safe transport. Drift of several thousand kilometers is common and would be fatal in the galactic core. The reaper IFF must trigger the relay to must more advanced encrypted protocols."

"Okay but just because we can kick down the front door doesn't mean we're ready for what's on the other side" commented Shepard. "We need to be ready to finish the fight, there'll be no second chances on this one."

"Sooner or later we're going to have to go after that IFF" pointed out Jacob, "I say why wait."

Miranda cut in immediately, "It's a derelict reaper. Worst case scenario, the Collectors are waiting for us. We need to build up our team before we take that kind of risk."

"I'm with Miranda on this one" James said standing up, "Damn thing's been there for thirty seven million years, it's not going anywhere. We need more firepower and a greater skill set and after last time I'm not taking any chances."

"It's your call Commander" replied Jacob with a nod.

"Which is code for get it wrong and we'll blame you" added Garrus with a grin.

"Asshole" laughed James, "Right our next move is to kidnap an old friend. We need an engineer, more than ever if we're targeting what is basically a giant machine. We'll get the ship squared away then go get Tali. Any questions?"

There were none, he nodded, "Okay Thane, Mordin Miranda I need a word. The rest of you I'll come and annoy you when you're productively engaged later."

* * *

James waited till the others had gone before perching on the desk and looking at the team. "The Illusive Man had a lot to say but he missed one critical thing. Well done. You all did a damn good job over there, we walked into an ambush on the enemies turf and we not only got out alive but we completed our mission. Whatever else happened here today you three were spectacular.

So thank you, good job well done. I mean that."

Thane bowed his head, "Thank you Shepard, I'm glad to be of assistance" he replied simply before turning to go.

Mordin smiled, "A chance to field test new prototypes always welcome. Pleased to be involved Shepard" before he to left.

Miranda looked at him and shook her head, "You know Shepard I can usually figure people out very quickly. You…..I had you pegged in five minutes, was right on the money to…..and yet after all this time you still surprise me."

He smiled and tapped his skull, "You're over analysing. You can't work out what's going on up here because there's not much to choose from."

She rolled her eyes, "Play the soldier boy card all you want but I always win. I will figure you out."

"Good, then at least one of us will" replied James with a wink.

* * *

James dropped into the main battery to see Garrus that afternoon, "How you doing brother" he asked.

"Better" replied Garrus, "I mean I'm pissed off with Cerberus but it was good to get it out of my system….but that was your plan all along wasn't it."

James nodded, "Pretty much, it was going to come to a head so I decided to get it over and done with where I could control it."

Garrus nodded, "Good plan" he paused and sighed, "I shouldn't have flown off the hook Shepard…..it was unprofessional."

James snorted, "Since when did that matter with us, all I ever need to hear from you is that you're good Garrus."

Garrus nodded and sighed, "It hurt….badly when I lost my team on Omega but none of them were as close to me as you brother. If anything had happened to you over there….knowing I wasn't there when you needed me. That's what pissed me off the most."

James stepped forward and gripped his friends shoulder, "Hey, it'll take a lot more than that to kill me brother. That was my call, none of it was your fault."

Garus sighed and turned away, "Maybe but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

James paused, "Ok what's eating you brother. Come on spill."

Garrus glanced at him and smiled ruefully, "Remind me never to play poker with you Shepard….again."

He led the way out of the main battery into the corridor and paused, leaning against the bulk head, his smile turned brittle "You remember I told you about Sidonis, the man who betrayed me on Omega."

James nodded, "Yeah….go on."

Garrus paused, "I may have a lead on his whereabouts through an old C-Sec contact of mine. I'm not sure yet, but I'm closing in on him. When I find him I'm going after him for my men."

James nodded, "You know I'll back you to the gates of hell itself Garrus…..but I want you to be clear this is what you want. Killing for revenge is one thing but killing because you're pissed off….that's a dangerous path brother."

Garrus sighed, "I know you mean well Shepard…..but I saw you after Kaiden died, you bought down an army with your anger and Saren too, this is no different for me."

James nodded, "Fair point but you kept me sane, you and the others. Kept me from becoming just another mindless killer and I'll do the same for you. So track Sidonis and when you find him we'll go together but promise me you'll think about it carefully."

Garrus sighed, "I promise brother."

James nodded, "Good, well I'll get you get back to your guns and I'll go annoy the XO for a bit."

"I have to ask Shepard" cut in Garrus, "After what happened are you sure we're right to trust them."

James turned and looked back at him, eyes hard, "Absolutely brother. Regardless of what the Illusive Man did Miranda and Jacob have given us nothing but their best. They deserve and are getting my complete trust and support."

Garrus sighed, "How can you be so sure Shepard."

"Because…." replied James simply.

"Because?" asked Garrus.

"Because" replied James, "A man's walking down the street one day."

Garrus paused then nodded, "Your right brother….alright I'll play nice but I still don't trust their boss."

"You know Garrus, you're not as stupid as you look" commented Shepard with a grin.

Garrus shook his head and turned to go back to the Main battery, then paused and looked back at James, "Shepard" he said his voice suddenly firm.

"Yes" replied James.

"When we hit that derelict Reaper…..I'm coming with you."

James nodded, "You bet your ass you are" he replied.

* * *

Miranda was in her office simultaneously writing her summary report for the Illusive Man and reviewing the intelligence from the Collector ship.

"I've heard of multi-tasking but there is a limit" cut in Shepard as he entered with a smile.

"If I manage to do the work of two people then between us we average out as two productive members of the crew" shot back Miranda.

Shepard grinned and lent on the back of the chair facing her, "Do you have a minute."

She nodded and logged off her terminal, "Of course….you managed that situation with the squad well, I think we've avoided any major problems for now. I suppose you want to discuss the Illusive Man's actions."

"I want your take on them" replied Shepard.

Miranda sighed, "In light of what he knew, I suppose I can understand the decisions he made."

"I don't misunderstand them" replied Shepard, "I just disagree with them. Would you have made the same decision?"

Miranda paused, since she had learned the truth behind the Illusive Man's actions she had been analysing the decision, thinking it through, trying to rationalise it…..and asking herself the exact same question.

"Sometimes there are strategic concerns which aren't apparent at a lower level" replied Miranda.

"Come on Miranda you're a consummate professional and so am I….allegedly. Do you really think we didn't need to know the details of that trap or would you have trusted us with the information and relied on us to do our jobs" he asked.

"Second guessing with the benefit of hindsight is very easy" she replied.

"You're dodging the question" countered Shepard, "Would you have made the same decision he made."

Miranda paused and bit her lip angrily, "I don't know."

"Yeah you do" replied Shepard grinning.

"She glared at him, "Alright let's say I wouldn't have that doesn't mean he was wrong…."

"No" asked Shepard, "Well one of you is and since you're a lot smarter and more trustworthy I'm going with him."

"Shepard Cerberus is fully committed to this mission" she snapped.

"I believe _you_ are but I think the Illusive Man is only interested in number one."

"What makes you think I'm not part of his grand deception" she asked angrily.

"I know you and I trust you" replied Shepard.

For Christ sake he was so bloody naive…..the fact he happened to be right this time didn't make it any less irritating. "You know Shepard labouring that point is not an appealing quality, in fact it can be bloody annoying" she snapped.

He looked at her, "Fifty credits say's I can improve your mood with three words."

She snorted, "And they call me arrogant. Shepard, you're an exceptional soldier but in other areas you massively over estimate your capabilities."

Shepard sat back and smiled, "Really…..How's Orianan doing."

She glared and looked away, "I fail to see the relevance….."

"You're smiling" replied James with a grin.

"I am not" replied Miranda staring out of the window and refusing to make eye contact with the bloody man.

"Yeah you are. This is me at my most annoying and you're smiling" replied Shepard.

She glared at him, "That's cheating."

"Of course…..sorry you were expecting me to fight fair" asked Shepard.

Miranda glared at him, "Shepard you are without doubt the most irritating son of a bitch I've ever met."

He sat back grinning, god she wanted to wipe that off his face. "Point to me" he said still grinning, "Come on seriously how is she."

Miranda sighed, "She's good….talking about university….keeps telling me to lighten up."

"Perish the thought" replied Shepard with a grin, "Without you the ship's being run by a man who can't keep a tank of fish alive."

Miranda smirked, "How is it that you can unite a fractious and divided crew but can't keep your fish alive for twenty four hours."

James shrugged, "Some of them made it forty eight….admittedly by eating the ones that didn't. Besides the team is good just a little rough round the edges. You bought me back for a reason Miranda, I'd hate to disappoint you."

Her lips curled in a small smile, "Trust me Shepard there's no danger of that. You're a very impressive man."

She froze as she realised what she'd just said. Where had that come from?

He paused and looked at her and her mind flashed back to that moment on shuttle….no…no she was a professional he was an asset, that was an end to it. Even if she was attracted to him, which she wasn't, there was nothing she could do about it and besides he thought of Cerberus as the enemy of my enemy.

"Was there something else Commander" she asked quickly….to quickly damn it get a grip Lawson.

"Uh…..no" replied Shepard, "No I'll let you work."

Thank you Shepard I'll make sure you have the information you need on Cerberus and the Migrant Fleet" replied Miranda in a more measured tone.

"Great thanks….okay" replied Shepard and he turned to leave, walking rather quickly.

Miranda frowned….what was going on, she needed to focus...damn the bloody man she could do without these …..distractions.

* * *

**Note:** Sorry this took a while to post. I'm currently traveling a lot at the moment (Three countries in two weeks on three continents) and so updates may be less frequent for a bit. I wont let this wither on the vine and hope you'll all be patient with me.


	22. Chapter 22: Brimstone

**Note:** Well I'm back, I'm conscious this took a long time so thanks for sticking with me.

I struggled quite a lot with this chapter, eventually I just sat down and hammered it out. This and CH 23 were going to be one chapter but once they were done it was just to long so I broke it into two but am posting them together because I don't want to mess your around any further.

Thanks for all the support and feedback, as always please review and comment. Good, bad and ugly I value it all.

**CH: 22: Brimstone.**

**Normandy SR-2 (Deep Space):**

It took them a while to track down Tali'Zorah, the Quarian's natural tendency to avoid other species meant they didn't leave much of a trail, making her difficult to track.

But difficult was Miranda Lawson's day job.

Shepard left her to run the search, and used the time to build up their capabilities. He talked to the crew for ideas and focused on modifying the ship, improving the armour and fuel capacity as well as their personal weapons, all of which meant mining the resources to let him do it.

Miranda had decided after Tuchanka the Normandy's sensors needed up grading, if only so she could keep track of errant teams. She decided now was a good time to field test her prototype design and hopefully make the entire process of scanning more efficient.

To her satisfaction but total lack of surprise it functioned perfectly. Shepard though was overjoyed at the result and the amount of time it saved him. He'd joked with her that now she'd upgraded the sensors he could spend more time irritating her. She responded with an icy retort, but she was finding herself increasingly looking forward to Shepard's visits.

She was also spending more time Kasumi who continued her relentlessly cheerful assault of chit chat. Between the two of them they took up a lot of time but Miranda's efficiency trumped their distractions and her productivity never wavered.

During one such occasion Miranda found herself in the Port Observation lounge. Initially Kasumi wanted to discuss the merits of various electronic hacking methods but somehow the conversation shifted the merits of Japanese art vs contemporary Asari painting. Not the sort of discussion she'd ever expected to have on the Normandy. To her surprise she found the thief's knowledge of fine art surpassed her own, not just for professional reasons but also because Kasumi appreciated it and enjoyed talking about it with someone who also appreciated it. Also, unlike Shepard, she could make a proper cup of tea. Miranda preferred Earl Grey but the selection of Japanese teas was certainly worth sampling.

While she found them pleasant Miranda didn't let these interactions slow her down. Soon enough her work paid off.

She sent Shepard a message and sure enough he came to see her.

"How's it going Miranda" he asked.

"The good news is I've found Tali" said Miranda sitting back.

"What's the bad news", asked Shepard.

With a gesture of her hand Miranda used her biotics to turn the monitor round so he could see it, "This is where she is" she explained.

Shepard looked at the screen for a couple of moments, his brow furrowed. Then he nodded, stood up and spoke very calmly and matter-of-factly.

"Hell."

* * *

**Normandy SR-2 (In high orbit over Haestrom):**

They were deep in Geth territory. This was the enemy's back yard and the only thing that was keeping them alive was the Normandy's stealth systems.

And the planet they were going to drop onto was a world so highly irradiated that the sunshine would burn them to a crisp.

If they survived the sun then the Normandy's advanced new scanners were detecting were detecting Geth crawling all over the ruins so they'd be going into a fire fight with an enemy who didn't understand the concept of fear.

Oh and to cap it all off he was involved in a heated row with his XO which was into its tenth round with no end in sight.

"Two fire teams, we'll go with Delta and Echo. Delta is me, Jack, Grunt. Echo is you Garrus, Samara, Zaeed. Miranda you'll run the operation from here. We need to move fast, locate Tali and any survivors from the Quarrian team and get them out quickly."

Garrus nodded and rose, "I'll prep the team brother" he said, turned and left the briefing room.

Jacob looked between Shepard and Miranda, apparently unsure if they needed him.

Miranda cleared that up quickly, "Jacob give us the room" she said her voice cool

He nodded and retreated leaving Miranda and James alone.

Shepard sighed, "Miranda I'm not having this argument again. I need you to stay put."

"Shepard in light of the Geth opposition we should deploy in full force" replied Miranda.

James sighed, "If Tali see's you or Jacob she'll freak out, clam up and I'll never be able to get her on side. You're staying here."

Miranda glared and gestured at the planet below, "Shepard this is a bad call."

James shrugged, "I'm sorry Miranda, I've made my decision. Besides we're going to a planet with sunlight which will char organic matter in a few seconds. You really think it's a good idea for _you_ to go down there. I've checked and we're out of factor eight million sun screen."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Shepard can you please be serious for one moment. What happens if you get ambushed?"

He shrugged, "We'll fight our way out. I know you're not happy about this and I appreciate your concerns but we'll play it my way."

Miranda closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Fine Shepard but this is a bad plan."

* * *

Miranda knew that wasn't fair, it was a risky plan but it wasn't bad.

But it had gone to bloody hell.

Shepard and Garrus had landed safely and deployed their two teams separately to rapidly and covertly scout through the ancient Quarrian settlement.

Instead they'd found the Geth. Then they'd had two choices, retreat or fight through to try and reach Tali…..they'd struck like lightning.

The Geth hadn't been ready for a commando assult and Shepard and Garrus had hammered into them. But the Geth had responded and from her position on the Normandy Miranda had realised what was happening.

Shepard and Garrus's deadly skills were being used against them, they were being drawn deeper into the Geth's formation and being split up.

Shepard saw it to, "Garrus there's splitting us up, we need to re-group."

"I'm in a snipers paradise here brother" replied Garrus, "They've got us pinned down, can you move to us."

"Not without going through half the Geth army" came Shepard's voice over the com.

"Shepard this is the Normandy" cut in over the com Miranda, "Check your omni tool, I'm seeing even more Geth closing in, they're working to isolate and overwhelm you."

"Shit" snapped Shepard.

"Shepard you may need to fall back to the shuttle," warned Miranda, "If you carry on further you risk being overwhelmed."

Shepard paused and swore, "I think you may be right, we need to find a different way in….."

Before he could finish there was a hiss of static and Miranda could hear another voice in the background, electronically modulated, indicating it was coming from a radio.

"Stand by Miranda, I think we've got survivors" Shepard responded, "Jack, Grunt on me."

* * *

**Haestrom**

"Break, Break, Break, OP1 this is Squad leader Kal'Reeger, do you copy."

James picked up the fallen Quarrians radio and responded, "This is James Shepard of the Normandy, I'm here to help. What do you need over?"

The Quarrians message was grim and it pushed all thoughts of retreat and regrouping from James's mind, the Geth we're right up the Quarrian team's ass. Their only hope was for James and his team to fight through to them. So he led his team down towards the Quarrian survivors holding the door.

Too late he saw the Geth drop ship come in on a strafing run.

Now James and his team were pinned from three sides and the Geth held the high ground. They couldn't get to the door through into the ancient Quarrian buildings. James fought his way to the top of one of the ancient Quarrian structures, standing on a buttress and laying down heavy fire on the Geth as he tried to break their attack.

"Damn it" growled Shepard dropping another Geth trooper with a high velocity shot to the head. "Garrus we're getting over run here, can you move to us" he sent over the com.

"Doing my best brother" replied Garrus over the com, "We're taking fire and there's hunters ever damn where."

"Shepard we need to bring reinforcements in, if your determined to fight through this you need support" cut in Miranda over the com.

"Miranda stay clear of this it's a damn fire trap, we'll fight through to high ground and access the situation from there", replied James.

Before she could respond the situation went from bad to worse, two rockets struck the buttress Shepard was standing on almost simultaneously. The structure shuddered and then started to slide.

James felt the rock beneath him shift. "Shit" he snapped leaping backwards and making a grab for firm ground.

But he fell short.

The whole cliff face gave way and Shepard went with it, slamming downwards on a tidal wave of rock and dirt.

* * *

**Normandy SR-2 (In orbit over Haestrom)**

Miranda saw all of this from the feed to her office and her heart leapt into her mouth.

"Shepard" she snapped into the com.

"Shepard come back over."

Oh no…..no this couldn't be happening, this man, James Shepard, the galaxies last, best hope was not going to be killed by…by a bloody rock fall.

"Shepard this is the Normandy, come back over" she snapped.

There was a strangled cough over the com, "I'm here Miranda" came the reply, "You know…..I'm beginning to think….this may not have been one of my best plans."

Miranda let out a sigh of relief, "Shepard, are you alright."

"Dislocated shoulder" he replied after a moment, a pained under current in his voice, "I'm cut off, trapped in a courtyward at the bottom of a close… and they're coming."

"Battle Master we will stand by your side….." began Grunt.

"No you damn well wont" cut in Shepard, "That slope could go any minute, it's a miracle I made it, we'll only make things worse if we all get cut off, fall back to Garrus, I'll figure something out."

Miranda looked at the tactical display and realised the situation was hopeless, Shepard was out numbered, outgunned, trapped with his back to a wall of rock. He had to know this to.

He was getting ready to sacrifice himself to protect his team.

Not on her watch, she opened a secure private channel to Shepard from her terminal, the others didn't need to hear this.

"Shepard stand by, I'm coming to get you" replied Miranda coolly.

"_No you're not_" snapped Shepard, "This is a fire trap, you could ….no scratch that you _will_ be shot down and then half the team not to mention your pilot will be dead."

"I'm here to do a job Shepard" replied Miranda in the same cool tone.

"Bull shit" snapped Shepard, "It is not your job to risk eight lives to save me."

"That is _precisely_ my job" replied Miranda firmly, "Your job is to complete the mission and keep us safe. But mine, first and foremost, before _anything_ else is to keep you alive, to watch your back and I will use every resource at my disposal to complete it. You cannot win if you are dead and I will sacrifice any member of the team, including myself, to keep that from happening if I have to."

"That's not your call" snapped Shepard.

"It is entirely my call. You want someone who will blindly follow orders then fire me and find someone else, otherwise deal with the fact I am making a decision that is in _your_ best interest which you might disapprove of. Bottom line _you_ look after the team and _I_ will look after _you_."

Shepard growled, "You're using my own arguments against me now?".

"I needed something sufficiently simple for you to understand" replied Miranda smirking.

Shepard sighed deeply.

"Two choices, stand on your pride or get off your high horse, accept the situation and in return Mordin will sort you out" added Miranda softly with a smile. She had many personality flaws and she was conscious of them all, but she was always careful to be gracious in victory.

Shepard sounded rueful, "_You're_ lecturing _me_ on humility…..is it possible I'm acting like a jack ass."

"You, never" replied Miranda, "Now sit tight we'll be there soon."

Miranda turned and opened a ship wide com channel, "Jacob, Kasumi, Mordin shuttle bay two minutes, full combat gear" she ordered over the com her voice sharp, "We're going down to the planet now."

* * *

**Haestrom**

Miranda checked the map and realised she needed to extract Garrus's team first, they'd need the firepower to rescue Shepard from the ambush he was stuck in.

The Kodiak swept down behind where Garrus, Samara and Zaeed were fighting against Geth Hunter's and rocket troopers on the galleries above them. Garrus's team weren't as badly outnumbered as Shepard's but they were being bottled up and prevented from moving to aid Delta team.

The shuttle touched down and lightning fast Garrus led his team back, moving together, they laid down cover fire for each other and rapidly were on board and the shuttle was lifting off heading for Shepard's location.

"Good to see you Miranda" said Garrus with a nod, "But not to sound ungrateful but what the hell are you doing here, Shepard was pretty clear…."

"Garrus my primary concern in all of this is our mission which necessitates keeping Shepard alive" cut in Miranda smoothly. "Now the question is Garrus are you going to fight me on this or are you going to come with me and save his life."

Garrus looked at her hard then replied quietly, "My loyalties to Shepard Miranda not Cerberus let's be clear on that. I won't let you take control from him, but neither will I let him commit suicide by stubbornness. So let's go find him, bail him out and support him."

Miranda nodded, "I don't care how you rationalise it Garrus, we're going to sort this out now before Shepard pisses away two years of my work."

* * *

James was doing his best to hold his ground, only falling back when he was on the verge of being surrounded and firing his phalanx one handed. But the Geth were pressing closer and closer and he was being pushed back towards the wall where he'd be trapped and venerable, then they'd cut him down.

"Ok smart boy, get out of this one" he muttered to himself as he shot down another trooper with his heavy pistol. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, medi-gel was great for broken bones and bleeding wounds but it couldn't do anything for dislocations.

He levelled his M-5 at another Geth trying to get round his flank, "Shit" he snapped as he loosed off four disruptor rounds in quick succession, blowing the Geth's head off. James activated his adrenal booster and flooded his blood stream with adrenalin. Hevaulted backwards, his movements like lightning.

The Geth were closing in on all sides. James was being pushed back towards the rock face and the scree slope he'd come down. He couldn't break through them alone he'd get shot in the back and he couldn't climb up the cliff or the scree slope with a dislocated shoulder.

Above him, on the ruined buttress overlooking the courtyard, Jack and Grunt were pouring fire and the biotic blasts down onto the Geth below, frantically trying to keep them away from him. The problem was there were Geth hunters and rocket troopers starting to target them. Shepard watched as the incandescent trail of a rocket flashed overhead and slamed into their position followed by swearing.

"Sons of bitches" snarled Shepard putting down another Geth, "Jack, Grunt talk to me."

"Fuck" came back the curt reply.

"Jack are you okay" snapped James over the com looking for the next target.

"I'm fine Shepard, I like it rough, pain just turns me on" she replied over the comm.

James swore, "You've done all you can Jack, get back to Garrus, you to Grunt. I'll find a way back to you."

"Fuck you Shepard" replied Jack as she grabbed a Geth Destroyer with her biotics, lifted it up and tore it apart with an angry snarl.

"We stand with you battle master" added Grunt putting a high velocity round down through a Geth hunter closing on Shepard.

There was a shuddering crash as a towering Geth prime smashed through the ruins ahead and opened fire. Its auto cannon howling and sending a stream of shells towards Grunt and Jack on the ledge above.

"Shit" snapped Shepard diving behind hard cover. "Do as you're told both of you, dying won't help me" he replied Shepard as he dropped flat, avoiding a burst of fire from the prime.

"Battle Master we cannot abandon you" replied Grunt.

"I'm not thrilled about it, but one casualty's better than three" replied James gritting his teeth as pain shot through his arm where he lent in cover as shells streamed overhead.

"Hold on Jack, we're in bound" crackled another voice over the com.

"Garrus" snapped Shepard keeping low as the prime focused on his position, "Where the hell did you spring from."

"We got a lift brother" replied Garrus.

"Got a lift…..what the hell do you mean", snapped Shepard.

"Shepard we're coming in to the north" cut in Miranda over the com, "ETA sixty seconds."

James's reply wasn't fit for polite company, fortunately it was drowned out by the impact of a rocket on his position.

"Christ" he snapped firing disruptor rounds at the prime, "Miranda you'll never make it."

"You underestimate me Shepard" she replied simply.

"I'm giving you an order, it's to dangerous, pull out" snapped Shepard.

"I heard, I'm choosing to ignore you" replied Miranda, "We'll be dropping in onto the cliff face to the north and set up a cross fire with Jack and Grunt, ETA twenty seconds."

"Oh fuck off, we're not being rescued by a cheer leader" snarled Jack.

Shepard's response to both of them was drowned out by the scream of the Kodiak's engines.

* * *

The seven of them dropped in quick succession from the Kodiak and dashed to the edge of the cliff, ducking into the shadow of large blocks. Garrus and Zaeed dropped to one knee and levelled their sniper rifles, Miranda and Kasumi stood with their EMPs charged and Samara and Jacob readied their biotics.

They unleashed a storm of fire, Samara, Mordin and Jacob clearing the Geth infantry while the others focused on the prime.

Kasumi and Miranda stripped the prime's shields away with over charged blasts from their EMPs. The Garrus and Zaeed followed it up with high powered shots and Miranda followed that up with a biotic warp blast which ripped at the prime's armour.

The infantry were torn to shreds and the prime staggered, its armour sparking but it didn't go down, it turned lifting its weapons to face the new threat. Trapped in the shade they were exposed to fire from below.

Jack and Grunt stepped out of cover and hit the prime with torrent of incendiary rounds and biotics, James joined the barrage firing his pistol rhythmically, pumping disruptor rounds into the Primes head.

The prime staggered…and fell it's knees as the whole team poured fire onto it, its systems overloading and fire taking hold.

It blew up with a thunderous explosion which shook the ruins and sent a cloud of dust rolling across the ground.

"Enemy down" barked Miranda triumphantly.

Shepard took cover and winced as he banged his shoulder, "Damn it" he snarled, "I can't see anything, are we clear" he asked.

"It's down, we're clear" replied Miranda in a smug tone.

Shepard nodded, "Right, let's re-group, my shoulder's dislocated so I'm going nowhere, fall in on me."

"On you Shepard" replied Jack.

"Moving to you" confirmed Miranda.

Jack and Grunt were able to shimmy down the scree slope where Shepard had fallen down. Miranda, Garrus and the others attached rock clamps and pitons to the cliff top and threw long rappelling lines down the face of the cliff. Then they abseiled down in short jumps, zipping down the face and landing at the bottom moments later and fanning out in a defensive position under Garrus's direction.

Miranda checked their dispositions with a critical eye even as she strode towards Shepard, jerking her head at Mordin to join her.

"Thanks for the save Miranda" said Shepard with a rueful smile, "It would appear you were right, I underestimated you."

"I'm always right" replied Miranda with a smirk, "Now hold still while Mordin checks you over, you can do the grovelling later."


	23. Chapter 23: 'Just Like Old Times'

**CH: 23: Just Like Old Times**

**Haestrom**

Mordin was as meticulous and workman like as ever as he quickly scanned Shepard and made and assessment, "Damage minimal except to left shoulder, mechanical dislocation, requires manual relocation" he diagnosed swiftly.

Which meant basically someone had to punch Shepard, very hard, in his wounded shoulder.

For some reason there were a lot of volunteers for this.

In the end Miranda took control, "Talented amateurs are not appreciated" she cut in coldly.

"Thank you" Shepard added with a nod.

"I'll do it" she continued.

"I…..wait what" asked Shepard.

"Garrus come here and hold him" ordered Miranda.

"With fucking pleasure" replied Garrus ginning and shouldering his rifle.

"Hang on" protested James, "Why are you doing this, I thought you said amateurs not appreciated."

"I rebuilt your shoulder along with the rest of you, my medical knowledge, both theoretical and practical is more than up to the task and with my biotics I can hit you hard enough to make sure the joint relocates" replied Miranda.

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "Your loving this aren't you" he growled.

"I perform all my duties in a spirit of professionalism and integrity Shepard" replied Miranda coolly but James saw a flash of amusement in her eyes.

"Right" he replied sarcastically.

"Garrus hold him" ordered Miranda holstering her weapon stretching and flexing her arm, her biotics flashing as she charged them up.

"Are you ready brother this is going to hurt" said Garrus cheerfully holding him tight in a bear hug.

"Then stop talking about it and get on with it" replied James wincing.

Garrus nodded to Miranda, holding his friend tight, "Ready on three, one…."

Hand glowing blue Miranda slammed the heel of her palm into Shepard shoulder, the force of the bioticaly charged blow relocating the joint forcefully.

Shepard let out a hoarse cry of pain, "Aggggh…..what the fuck, he said on three" he gasped.

"First rule of espionage, dislocate their expectations" replied Miranda with a smile.

Shepard winced as Garrus let go and he rotated the shoulder, "My expectations, it was my shoulder that was dislocated…..Who the hell goes on two, nobody that's who it's always three."

"Stop bitching" commented Garrus, "Mordin is he going to die….please say yes I want that rifle."

"Patient likely to recover…..providing he curbs suicidal tendencies" replied Mordin with a smile.

"Fat chance of that" commented Miranda dryly.

"And when I do die I'm being buried with that rifle" cut in Shepard in a mock annoyed tone, "Is everyone good?"

"We're good" replied Miranda, "The soldier recommended using the demolition charges to clear the rubble, where are you going to set the other one."

James gave her a wolfish grin, "Anyone can blow something up with tons of explosives, I am a craftsman and this is my art, one will do just fine. Everyone take cover."

Ten seconds later he was proved right.

* * *

Inside the building they found smashed Geth and slain Quarrians littering the floor.

"These building are Quarrian" commented Miranda intrigued, "This colony predates the Geth uprising…..impressive architecture, and unique."

"So every round we fire is an act of archaeological vandalism?" asked Kasumi.

"Cool" cut in Jack with a leer.

"Why would the Quarrian's come here?" asked Garrus, "Whatever they're after, I hope it's worth it."

Shepard glanced up from an upgrade he was in the middle of pilfering from a downed Geth, "Let's try and make sure the butchers bill doesn't get any higher" he said grimly.

"Tali'Zorah to base camp, come in base camp."

The noise startled them and instantly they turned, weapons trained only to find it was a hologram on a com unit. Shepard approached it and keyed the com.

"Hello is anybody there" asked the female Quarrian again a note of desperation in her voice.

"Tali its Shepard" he replied, "I'm sorry everyone here is dead, any survivors must have fallen back."

"Shepard…how…..damn it….we knew this mission was high risk" replied Tali sadly, "But what are you doing here, we're in the middle of Geth space."

"I was in the neighbourhood" replied Shepard with a grin, "Thought you might need a hand."

"Thanks for coming Shepard" replied Tali her tone changing to relief and wry amusement, "It means a lot to hear you voice."

Miranda was surprised to feel a sudden stab of jealousy at the Quarrians tone. She squashed it down hard, now was not the time…..no there would never be a time

Tali briefed them quickly on the situation, as ever Shepard had questions but he kept them short and to the point, finally getting Tali to unlock the door and give them access to the courtyard beyond.

"Be careful Shepard" cautioned Tali as they made ready to move off, "And please do what you can to keep Reeager alive."

Shepard smiled, "Stay safe Tali, I'll be there soon and we're getting you both out of here", he glanced at the others, "Let's move."

* * *

From there on they fought as a unit and they had the advantage. The combination of targeted aggression, razor sharp reflexes and slick professionalism cutting through the Geth opposition. Shepard led them through the ruins, focusing on Geth strong points and annihilating them with rapid assaults before they could muster a proper defence.

They fought through waves of Geth infantry, knocking down recon drones that tried to pin them down, cutting down destroyers before they could close with them. At one point they ran into a Geth Prime, but this time they were ready.

James directed EMPs from Miranda, Garrus and Kas onto it while getting the other's to lay down covering fire, gunning down the troopers supporting the Prime. Once the EMP's, had destroyed its shields James delivered the coup de grace with four rockets from his missile launcher which tore through the primes armour and then blew it apart.

"Nice shot" commented Miranda with a smirk.

James smiled as he slung the launcher and unslung his battle rifle, checking it was modded for disruptor rounds, "Thanks" he replied dropping a drone with a couple of tight bursts, "Lets push on."

They fought their way rapidly through the wide, shadowy courtyard, moving and shooting in tight formation.

Once the last Geth was down Shepard slung his rifle and rapidly hacked the door controls and stepped inside, pistol drawn followed by Miranda and Grunt and then the others.

There was a mechanical whine then…..

"Colossus", Miranda warned.

"Get down" ordered Shepard as they dived for hard cover.

The Geth Collossus fired and the impact sent them flying in a thunderous explosion, a searing blue flash of energy and a hail of stone shrapnel.

James rolled over and swore, "Piece of fucking junk, I refuse to be killed by an overgrown toaster."

"Ah….defiantly like old times" commented Garrus with a grin.

"Can we focus now and do jokes later" snapped Miranda.

"Oh alright but only because I think you'll do number on my other shoulder" replied James rising and moving towards the door on the other side of the room which led to the courtyard below and the Colossus.

"Garrus with me the rest of you follow on, anti-armour drills, watch your spacing" he ordered.

* * *

Kal'Reager was having a bad day.

The most obvious reason for this was he was about to die.

This sounded worse that it was, he'd been prepared to die since he joined the Migrant Fleet Marine Corp straight after pilgrimage.

What was really pissing him off was that when he died he was going to fail his mission, the data the fleet so desperately needed would be lost. Kal hated failure.

To further worsen the situation his death would ensure the death of Tali'Zorah vas Neema. He liked the young engineer, she was sharp, tough and very good at her job. Also unlike a lot of fleet officers she didn't look down on him and his marines as a lower form of life, she valued them and they had fought fiercely for her, now she would die to.

To add insult to injury it would be the Geth, the ancient enemy of his people who twisted the knife.

So Kal was seriously pissed off, trouble was there wasn't much he could do about it.

He fired another rocket at the Colossus cursing under his breath in the way only a pissed off marine can. The Collossus responded with a concussive blast which drove him back into cover, but he had time to see another wave of Geth advancing on him…..oh yeah he was screwed.

Then he saw movement behind him, 'oh shit, shit, shit' if the Geth had gotten round his flank….

They hadn't…..

A black armoured human and a blue armoured Turian appeared at a run, vaulting down the steps next to him and opening fire on the advancing Geth all the while hurling abuse…..

At each other?

"You're getting slow brother" yelled the human as he gunned down a Geth trooper.

"You always were slow" shouted back the Turian as he hit the next one with an EMP before finishing it off with his rifle, "Honestly Shepard if you're the best humanities got to offer then your species is well and truly fucked."

'Shepard' thought Kal, the man he'd talked to earlier on the com, the man Tali'Zorah raved about.

He only had a moment to think about this before the two of them were joined by a squad of others and what a squad. Humans, a Krogan, a Salarian, an Asari.

The only thing they had in common was their utterly lethal skills.

He saw a Geth trooper hauled up into the air with a biotic field which was then detonated by a biotic blast atomising the Geth.

He saw another trooper's shields overloaded by an EMP and then ripped apart by a volley of gunfire.

He saw a hunter de-cloak only to be vaporised by a combination of high velocity rounds and incineration blasts.

In a matter of seconds the advancing wave of Geth were torn to pieces.

The human in black armour ducked into cover to avoid another earth shaking blast from the Collossus, "Well this is getting old, everyone Garrus, Zaeed start sniping, keep the infantry back" he ordered before turning to Kal.

"James Shepard, I'm with Normandy interstellar recycling, we're here to help you with your scrap metal problem" he said holding out a hand.

Kal shook his head but gripped the crazy human's hand, "Squad leader Kal'Reegar, Migrant Fleet Marines. We talked on the radio before that drop ship arrived. I still got no idea why you're here, but this aint the time to be picky."

An explosion cut him off and he ducked before continuing, "Tali's inside over there. Geth killed the rest of my squad and now they're trying to get to her, best I've been able to do is draw their attention."

"Is Tali okay in there" asked Shepard.

"The observatory is reinforced, even the Geth will need some time to get through" replied Kal "And it's tough to hack a door when someone's firing rockets at you" he added with a grin.

Shepard grinned back and nodded, "Right well the games changed now, what's the opposition."

"Geth are near platoon strength but the Colossus is the worst part" replied Reegar, "It got a repair protocol, huddles up and fixes itself. We can't get a clear shot at it when it's down like that. I tried to move in closer and one of the bastards punched a hole in my suit."

"Mordin check him out" ordered Shepard.

"I'm fine" cut in Kal waving the Salarian away, "It hurts like hell but I've got isolation systems in place and I'm swimming in antibiotics, the Geth might kill me but no way I'm dying of an infection in the middle of a battle….that's just insulting."

Shepard's grin broadened, "Ok what's the lay of the land."

Kal paused for a second then replied, "The right side's got a catwalk with a sniper perch. You could wreak some havoc from there, but none of my men made it past the Geth."

The middles got cover but you've got Geth coming at you from both sides and the Collossus has a clear shot at you the whole time.

The left gives you some cover from the Collossus but your ass is hanging open the entire time to the Geth, that's how I got shot."

Shepard nodded, "Right we're getting Tali out, any ideas?"

Kal grinned darkly, "Just one. Standard protocol with armature class platforms is to sabotage the shields and whittle it down, you know kill it with bug bites. Problem is it huddles up and fixes itself, we need to get in close. I'm not moving so good but I can still pull a trigger and I've got a rocket launcher the sun hasn't fried yet. I'll distract the Colossus, maybe even take down its shields. You move in closer and finish it off."

Shepard shook his head firmly, "Reegar you've done more than could possibly be asked of you. Let me take it from here, you don't need to throw your life away."

Reegar glared and shook his head, "Wasn't asking your permission Shepard. My job is to keep Tali safe. This is our best shot" he turned back to the Colossus and raised the ML-22.

Suddenly Shepard grabbed him and bodily slammed him against the wall, "We don't have enough people for you to take one for the team Kal" he snapped, "Let me do this for you."

Kal dropped to his knee, his wounded leg starting to throb, "I'm not going to stand their while you run into enemy fire" he snapped frustrated, "They killed my whole squad."

Shepard looked at him hard, "Kal dying here will only help the Geth. You want to honour your squad then live to make sure their remembered. I need you to watch my back in case they bring in reinforcements. You're not being replaced or supplanted….just supported, one marine by another."

Kal sighed and glared, "Alright Shepard we'll do it your way. Hit them for me. Keelah selai."

Shepard nodded, "Good call Kal" he replied before turning back to his squad.

* * *

"Right" ordered James, "The middle routes out, we're not kamikazes. Miranda you go left, take Kas, Grunt and Samara. Jacob dig in here with Jack and Zaeed, keep the Geth bottled up and away from our backs. Garrus you and me are going sniping."

"Will do" replied Jacob.

"Understood Shepard" Miranda said with a nod.

Garrus just looked at him and shook his head, "Just like the good old days…..spirits I thought I was done with that crap" he said with a grin.

James grinned, traded a quick look with each member of his team then looked back at the ramp they were going up, "Just try not to slow me down brother. Okay let's do this."

Shepard and Garrus moved with the rapid, smooth movements of a well-oiled machine.

Dash to cover, rifle up, open fire, cover your buddy as he moves, drop, roll, up. Dash to cover, rifle up, open fire…..

They dropped three Geth on their way up the ramp and then they were on the cat walk, two of them vs ten Geth.

Shepard glanced at Garrus, "You ready brother."

"I was born ready Shepard" replied Garrus twisting round the corner of their cover and dropping the first Geth, "Scoped and dropped, just like on the range" he said as he ducked back to avoid the return fire.

"Yeah" replied Shepard as he emerged and put a concussive shot through one of the Geth firing at Garrus, "But this is a two way range brother, the targets shoot back."

To prove his point a burst of fire came whipping towards them, making them duck.

"Fuck off" they yelled in unison, rising and gunning down the advancing Geth in a hail of disruptor and armour piercing rounds.

"Cover me, I'll make some space" snapped Shepard.

"Go" replied Garrus unleashing an EMP and following it up with a burst of rifle fire.

James dashed forward, adrenalin flooding his blood stream. He zipped between the Geth's bursts of fire, their movements seeming slow and clumsy to his adrenalin boosted senses. One of them staggered as Garrus hit it with a high powered shot and James finished it off with one of his own.

The he dropped behind solid cover and in the shade before the sun could vaporise his shield although there was a disconcerting smell of burning ozone.

Now though they had set up an effective cross fire and began to whittle down the Geth. A hunter de-cloaked near to Shepard but Garrus was ready behind him and hit the hunter with an EMP which fried its shields and stunned it long enough for James to whip out his shot gun and blast it at point blank range, turning it into scrap metal.

"That one's mine Brother" yelled Garrus.

"Dream on" replied Shepard hammering an advancing destroyer with disruptor rounds, stripping away its shields, they hit it with a pair of concussive shots, finishing it off.

"Mine" they both shouted together with a laugh.

Shepard checked his omni tool, the Geth on the causeway were being driven back but beneath them the Geth were swarming towards Jacob and threatening Miranda's flank. "Eye's left brother, I'll cover you" ordered James.

"Have that" replied Garrus moving into the shade and levelling his sniper rifle over the wall to the right while Shepard laid down a blistering cover fire to keep the Geth of his exposed back, dropping any Geth that dared show itself. Garrus took out four Geth in quick succession before dropping back to re load as Shepard gunned down another trooper.

"We're clear brother" shouted James, "Time to move up."

Garrus rose and moved to join Shepard and together the advanced, making sure to overlap their arcs of fire, "We've still got the damn Collossus to deal with" Garrus reminded him, "Any ideas."

James grinned as he opened fire on a stray Geth trooper who broke from cover to target them, "Actually I do…..it's a little unorthodox though."

"Unorthodox as in 'That's brilliant' or unorthodox as in 'Shit we're all gonna die' asked Garrus.

"Let's find out" replied James with a grin, "Shepard to Miranda come back over."

* * *

Miranda charged her biotics, waiting for the perfect moment, then as Samara pulled the Geth Hunter up into the air she hit it with a biotic warp blast which destabilised the Asari's mass effect field and tore the Geth apart, perfect.

"Shepard to Miranda come back over."

She gestured to Grunt, pointing at the next target and let of a waspish burst from her SMG, "Go Shepard."

"I've got a plan to nail the Colossus, but we need to work together and slickly to make it happen."

Miranda's response was cut off for a moment as behind her Jacob and Jack unleashed a combined biotic attack which tore a Geth Destroyer apart, setting of its propellant tanks and annihilating the trooper standing next to it.

"What are you thinking Shepard" asked Miranda over the com.

"I'm thinking that the Geth were kind enough to let me ride a rock slide. I'm going to return the favour."

* * *

_Three minutes later._

"Shepard we're taking a lot of fire here" Miranda snapped, ducking into cover as the Colossus unleashed another blast in her direction.

"Give me thirty seconds more then we'll draw its fire, you'll have ten seconds to get back on the other side of the buttress. Can you make that work."

"In my sleep" replied Miranda, "Snap shots" she ordered dodging out of cover and hitting the Colossus with a warp blast.

Kasumi followed it up with an EMP blast and then Grunt put a high velocity round into it with a roar of defiance.

"Cover Grunt now" yelled Miranda, the Krogan grumbled but obeyed, ducking into cover as the Colossus unleashed another over charged blast in their direction.

Samara stepped out, wreathed in biotic energy and unleashed a blast which tore down the Colossus's shields, Miranda added one of her own which ripped open its armour. Then two high powered concussive rounds hammered down from the gallery to their right where Shepard and Garrus were positioned.

Miranda's team let lose a hail of gunfire which she directed at the venerable joints in the constructs armour with clipped commands….it was enough, the Colossus closed in on itself, activating its repair protocol and shutting down.

"Everyone pull back, Shepard do it" she yelled.

"Music to my ears, get to cover" he replied.

* * *

As he spoke Shepard hit the activation switch for the spare demolition charge he had kept from the Quarrian team and he and Garrus rose, firing at the Geth to draw their attention as they pulled back.

Ten seconds later the charge detonated with a hollow bang, it wasn't huge but James Shepard knew explosives and a moment later the cliff started to slide.

* * *

Miranda's team were pulling back firing when tons of rock came crashing down, crushing the folded down Colossus and the Geth under the weight of rubble.

Miranda took a step back as the avalanche thundered down, off the side of the cliff they were standing on and into open space with a thunderous, grinding roar like the impact of giant icebergs in a polar sea.

Then in a moment the rush of noise and dust was over and silence reigned over the battlefield.

She led her team forward again, scanning for Geth…there were none, they'd been smashed to pieces and the Colossus was buried under a mound of rubble.

"Looks clear from up here" came Shepard's voice over the com, "How about with you Miranda."

"It's clear" she replied, "Care to join us."

"I thought you'd never ask" replied Shepard with a laugh and a moment later he and Garrus slid down the new scree slope they'd created grinning like kids.

"That was…surprisingly effective" commented Miranda dryly as Jacob's team joined them.

"Damn it commander" commented Jacob, "You're a special kind of crazy…..the lethal kind."

"What does that say about you Garrus" asked Shepard, "Your best friends a maniac."

"It says I need a new one" replied Garrus grinning.

"Well on that note, let's go get Tali" Shepard said pointing towards the observatory door.

* * *

Tali was inside working on a consul as they advanced in tactical formation looking for any remaining Geth, Shepard paused just long enough to grab a pulse rifle as they approached.

"Thank you Shepard, if not for you I would never have made it out of here alive. You saved me" breathed Tali relieved.

"What do you mean _he_ saved you" asked Garrus indignantly, "He nearly got buried _trying_ to save you and I bailed you both out."

"Garrus" she shouted overjoyed, then strode towards him glaring "You're alive….you bosh'tet why didn't you contact me."

"Good to see you to Tali" Garrus grinning.

She stopped and stared at Garrus's scars, "Keelah….Garrus what happened."

"Shepard was getting jealous of my good looks and charm so he tried to blow me up" replied Garrus with a wink.

"Please never use my name and the words 'blow me' in a sentence together ever again" replied James with a staged shudder. "We're glad we could help Tali but what the hell happened."

Tali sighed, "This whole mission has been a disaster from the word go, but I couldn't let anyone take my place on something this risky."

"You have been spending far too much time round Shepard" said Garrus with a grin.

"Tali come with us, please" asked Shepard "I need someone to shut this idiot up and you pointing a shot gun at him always seemed to do the trick."

Tali looked past him and glared pointedly at Miranda and Jacob, "Shepard I'm grateful for the help, but you're with Cerberus….with the _enemy_."

"They're with me Tali" replied James softly, "Just like last time I'm not asking you to betray the migrant fleet but to work with me to stop a threat to us all."

"Shepard…how can you work with Cerberus…..how can you ask me to trust them, to work with them."

"I'm not Tali. I'm asking you to trust me" replied Shepard.

"Why should I" asked Tali sharply.

"Because Tali…..a man's walking down the street one day" replied Shepard softly.

There was a long pause.

Then Tali sighed and bowed her head.

"Alright Shepard, I'll hear you out. If the Admirals have a problem with that they can go to hell" she said her tone grim.

"That's all I'm asking Tali" he replied.

"I promised to see this mission through Shepard, but just watched the rest of my team die, after that…..sometimes you have to walk away."

"Maybe not the whole rest of your team marm" cut in a soft voice behind them

James looked over and grinned as Kal'Reegar limped in, damn he really liked the Quarrian marine, tough, competent and bullshit free, it was a winning combination.

"Reegar you made it" Tali cried happily.

"Your old Captains as good as you said" replied Reegar.

"Don't tell him that his ego's big enough as it is" groaned Garrus.

"Ha, damn Collosus never stood a chance" grinned Reegar.

"It was my team that got me through this one Reegar, still now we have enough tin cans to see us through" replied James with a grin, "You need a lift somewhere?"

"Ah the Geth didn't damage our ship, long as we get out of here before reinforcements show up we'll be fine."

"Actually I won't be going with you" replied Tali, "I'm joining Commander Shepard."

"I'll pass the data to the Admiralty board and let them know what happened" replied Reegar, taking this new development in his stride like a true marine. "She's all yours now Shepard, keep her safe."

"I always do Kal" replied James, "Garrus, Grunt, Jack escort Kal back to his ship, we'll send the shuttle back for you."

"Got it brother" replied Garrus.

James extended his hand and gripped Reegar's fore arm, "A pleasure Kal, Keelah selai."

Reegar nodded and returned the grip, "Thanks Shepard."

"Any time. Right well let's go home, beers are on Garrus" said Shepard with a grin.

"Why me?" asked Garrus.

"It's your turn" replied Shepard.

"How is it that it's been my turn since we met" asked Garrus.

"Oh piss off" replied Shepard.

"Glad to see some things haven't changed" said Tali.


	24. Chapter 24: 'That Fire'

**CH 24: 'That Fire.'**

**Normandy SR2 (In orbit over Haestrom).**

James lent his head back and winced as the shuttle landed, his shoulder still hurt. However his implants were taking care of the swelling and the discomfort was receding. Miranda certainly knew her way around a man's body….okay abandoning that train of thought now before it derails horribly.

He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and get a few hours sleep but it was not to be, he was far from blind to the suspicious glances Tali was casting around her. This had to be tackled head on, the last thing he needed was more strife in the team.

"Tali lets go have a chat. Miranda give me the briefing room for a little while, make sure Garrus and CO get extracted and everyone gets cleaned up and fed, we'll debrief after I'm done."

Miranda nodded and started briskly issuing orders. Tali followed him into the elevator and up to the briefing room, still glowering until the door closed leaving them alone. James leant against the table and nodded, "Ok Tali lets have it, both barrels."

* * *

She gave it to him alright. She wasn't at all happy and she let him know it.

"How could you Shepard" hissed Tali, "How could you Shepard. How could you go off with Cerberus and why are you still with them" she asked angrily.

"Out of necessity initially" replied Shepard in a mild tone, "Now because I've building a team, my team. They're the best there is and I wouldn't trade them for an army. There is a real threat out there Tali and I have to meet it, no one else is giving me the resources I need so it's a no brainer. I have to work with Cerberus but on my terms."

"What about the Council or the Alliance?" asked Tali disbelieving.

"Tried both" replied Shepard, "Went badly and really badly in that order."

"What about us Shepard" snapped Tali, "We were your team, you didn't think of us?"

"First thought that crossed my mind" replied Shepard, "Garrus is with me thank god. Wrex and Liara now have new responsibilities although they've helped as much as they could. Kaiden died last time around to give me a fighting chance, Ashley…..well let's just say she was unreceptive to the idea. You're the last one and your right I do need you absolutely, I'll never succeeded without you."

"What about Cerberus" asked Tali, "Do you trust them?"

"The Illusive Man not even a little bit, my crew absolutely, especially Jacob and Miranda the two you met briefly on freedoms progress" replied Shepard.

"Why" asked Tali incredulous.

"The same reason I trust you Tali. They're my friends. They've had plenty of opportunities to stab me in the back and they didn't take them. There part of us now and I want you to be to."

Shepard's tone was relaxed and reasonable but deadly earnest.

Tali sighed, "Shepard….how can I be sure this is you talking and not them."

He shrugged, "You can't Tali you have to go on faith just like the last time. I could have used you and disposed of you with little or no consequences last time but instead you got some juicy Geth data to take back to the fleet. Bottom line all I have is my word, I mean the migrant fleet no harm and wont let anyone under my command threaten them. I just want the Collctors and the Reapers and I need your help to do it."

Tali looked at him and shook her head, "You know Shepard…you haven't changed a bit."

"I don't know. I'd like to think I've got even better looking" replied Shepard with a grin.

"Not one bit" replied Tali, "I'll come with you but I still don't trust Cerberus."

Shepard shook his head and grinned ruefully, "You know you're going to fit right in. Alright I need to do call a debrief with the team, good a time as any to get the introductions done. Give me ten minutes to get out of the armour and we'll get this show on the road."

* * *

"Okay that about wraps it up" said James as the debrief finished, "Last point as you all now know we have a new member of our little band, Tali meet the crew of the ship of fools."

Jacob spoke up first, his tone friendly "Cerberus saw footage of you in action Tali'Zorah. We're looking forward to having you on the team. Your engineering skills will really benefit us."

Garrus met James's eyes across the room, they knew what was coming.

"I don't know who you are" Tali snapped at Jacob, "But Cerberus threatened the security of the Migrant Fleet. Don't make nice."

Jacob was taken aback but James stepped in, "Tali this is Jacob and you don't have to get on but we are on the same side."

"You know Shepard when I first found out you were here I assumed you were undercover here. Maybe even planning to blow Cerberus up" said Tali looking at him hard, "If that is the case I'll loan you a grenade. Otherwise I'm here for you not for them."

"Oh I like her" commented Jack.

"Yes I thought you might" replied James with a rueful grin, "So Garrus, Kas help Tali get settled in. Tali If you like you can take a look through the Normandy. She's got a whole lot of new toys, none of which a ground pounder like me really understands and as far as I'm concerned she's your baby now. Prod, poke, tinker, twist….."

"Shepard you are confusing engineering and sex" cut in Garrus dryly.

"You know I swear there's a jokes about sparks flying somewhere there but I can't think of it" replied James snapping his fingers.

Tali chuckled, "Thanks Shepard it'll be good to see what she can do."

"Again Tali your confusing…" began Garrus with a grin.

"Shut up brother" ordered Shepard laughing, "Miranda will make sure you have everything you need Tali."

Miranda and Tali exchanged a cool look and a nod…..but Miranda didn't try and control Tali and Tali didn't launch into another tirade at Miranda so maybe they were making progress.

Tali glanced at Shepard again, "I'll make a start in engineering, I'll be there if you need me."

James nodded motion for Garrus and Kasumi who rose to join Tali. James turned back to his team when Jacob had to go and say it.

"Tali don't forget to introduce yourself to EDI, the ships artificial intelligence."

Tali froze in the door way, turned back and gave Jacob a long hard look that was about as friendly as a missile seeker acquiring a targeting lock.

Then very deliberately she walked away.

"Garrus….." ordered James jerking his head at the door.

"On it brother" replied Garrus heading after Tali, Kasumi followed.

James turned and banged his head against the bulkhead, "Thank you for that Jacob" he said sounding resigned.

"What….what did I…." began Jacob confused.

"Jacob" began Mordin always eager to explain, "Geth programs a form of AI, actually highly evolved Vis networked at quantum speeds, formed basis of Geth rebellions, resulted in destruction of Quarian society, genocide and exile."

Jacob swore and banged his fist on the table, "Oh hell you mean I just….."

"Did the equivalent of suggesting a Native America try on a cowboy hat and spurs" clarified Miranda coolly.

Jacob swore again, "Shit, Shepard I….I didn't….should I…."

"I'll deal with it. Miranda take Jacob and tie him to something immobile" ordered James with a resigned sigh.

"Commander…..I…." began Jacob.

"Its fine Jacob, you didn't mean anything by it" cut in Shepard, "I'll sort it out."

* * *

"Hey brother" James said with a nod to Garrus as he emerged from the elevator.

"Don't you 'hey brother' me" Garrus groused, "I've just saved you from having your nuts screwed shut in a vice for neglecting to mention EDI to Tali, you owe me."

"She's mad then?" asked James.

"No she flashed hot but she knows you just forgot about it. But she's more uncomfortable than ever" replied Garrus.

"Okay I'll go have a talk" James said, "You watch out for her to okay."

"Watch out for her, watch out for you. You know one of these days I'm going to be so busy watching out for everyone else I fall down a damn hole" Garrus grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah you love being dependable" replied James with a wink as he headed for the elevator and engineering.

* * *

"You're the best Commander" said Ken with a grin as James entered the engine room, "We just got those FBA couplings installed. Now we only have to calibrate every week instead of every day."

Shepard smiled, "Any time" he replied with a shrug, it had been a minimal expense after all.

"We were thinking of celebrating our new found free time with some Skyllian-Five poker" carried on Ken, "Want to join us?"

"Come on Kenneth" cut in Gabbier, "The Commander doesn't want to play cards with grease monkeys like us."

Shepard paused, there was nothing wrong with a hew hands of cards with the crew but that's not what made him stop. He hand the beginnings of an idea germinating in his head. He would need to have a talk with Tali to try and reassure her…but maybe it didn't have to happen yet. Maybe instead he should try a different tack.

"Actually that sounds fun as long as the cards aren't the god damn commemorative deck with my picture on. How about you Tali, you in?"

"Yeah come on Tali" added Ken eagerly, clearly keen to win some money off his superiors.

Tali looked up from her consul surprised, "Um….sure sounds fun", she replied coming over to join them.

"Fantastic" grinned Ken, "I'll get the cards."

Shepard nodded, "Sounds good but my Skyllian Five's a bit rusty, you'll go easy on the rookie right?"

"Of course Commander" replied Ken eagerly, "It's all friendly."

"Yeah right" snorted Gabbie.

Shepard lent against the rails and nodded but inside he was smiling.

There's not much to do to stave away the boredom when you're a kid in the slums. Which meant that you very quickly got to learn how to use a deck of cards.

* * *

"Be gentle on the rookie" complained Ken as Shepard pocketed his winnings, "I can't believe we fell for that."

"Never underestimated Shepard" chuckled Tali ruefully, "I should have learned that by now."

"It's so worth losing to see you taken down a notch" added Gabbie with a grin at Ken.

"Beat me at my own game…..you're alright Shepard" pronounced Ken.

James grinned, "Well I'll play with my eyes closed next time. You three need to up your game, otherwise engineering's going to get a rep for being an easy mark."

"You pirate Shepard" laughed Tali.

James winked in return, "We'll I've got other people to annoy, I'll see you later….rematch at some point?"

Tali sent some fine Quarian curses his way, which Gabbie immediately wanted to learn to use on Ken. James decided to leave them to it…they were starting to gel as a team and that was what he needed.

James headed out onto deck three still chuckeling…and realised he wasn't sure where he was going, he seemed to be rambling, lost in thought and drifting….towards Miranda's office.

James shook his head, what the hell was he doing. He didn't have any particular reason to speak to Miranda, it just seemed…..right to go and talk to her.

Oh for god's sake Shepard you need to get a grip. Nothings ever going to happen, she's a professional so you need to start acting like one to.

Still…..he probably should talk to her about Tali…and their next step…..yes that made sense surely. Plus having that gigantic brain of hers focused on something other than his misbehaviour was probably a good thing…..although she didn't seem to mind so much of late...maybe he was just grinding her down.

He stopped as he realised the whole time he'd been thinking he'd been walking…..and was now at her door.

He shook his head and opened it, stepping inside, pushing his thoughts aside.

* * *

"Hi Miranda, do you have a minute" he asked.

Miranda looked up and nodded, "Of course, how's Tali, did you manage to talk her round?"

"Actually I fleeced her and the rest of our engineering crew at cards" replied Shepard with a grin. He noticed she'd changed her uniform back to the black and white number she'd worn previously, absentmindedly he wondered why.

"Did that help" asked Miranda breaking his train of thought.

"Absolutely, they're all united by the fact that they were just taken for a ride and are having a good long bitching secession about their boss the card shark and _not_ casting suspicious glances at each other" replied James with a grin.

Miranda rolled her eyes and smiled, "That's…actually very intelligent. I'm impressed Shepard."

"You can say surprised you know" replied James with a wink.

"Actually I've been meaning to speak to you about that" replied Miranda. She rose and turned away, walking to the couch in her sleeping quarters, she sat and gesturing for him to join her.

With a slight frown of confusion James followed her and sat at the opposite end, careful to keep a safe distance between them, all the while wondering what was coming.

"I wanted to apologies" began Miranda haltingly, clearly not used to starting conversations this way.

James resisted the temptation to make a joke, something told him this was not the time.

"I….I didn't fully believe you'd be up to the task and it seems I was wrong" continued Miranda, "Frankly based on what I've seen I wish Cerberus had recruited you earlier."

"Trust me you don't" replied James with a shake of his head, "It would not have ended well when projects like the ones I shut down started cropping up. I trust _you_ Miranda, never said I trusted Cerberus. Their experiments cross the line."

"All the time yes" agreed Miranda with a frown, which changed to a smirk, "But I recall a certain Spectre….now what was his name, who crossed a few lines hunting down Saren and the Geth."

"Fair point" replied James, "But only in the heat of combat, I never cut corners because it was convenient, only because defeat and death of my friends was the only alternative. I would never experiment on children, I know you and Jack don't exactly see eye to eye but I stand between kids and harm's way."

"That was a mistake no question" agreed Miranda instantly, "Not mine and one that was corrected once we discovered the extent of the experiments being performed."

"Trust me when I say it's a really good thing for all involved that I wasn't in Cerberus then" James said his voice soft, "There's some lines that are blurry and some you just don't cross."

"Which is why we'd be lucky to have you" replied Miranda, "Too many join us out of simple xenophobia. We need more people here for the right reasons."

"Okay what are the right reasons?" asked James sitting forward, "I'm genuinely curious Miranda, your sister aside why did you join with Cerberus, you are smart and ambitious, you could have done anything you wanted, why chose this?"

"Because I still envy the time Mordin spent with the Special Tasks Group" replied Miranda.

"What lurking in the shadows with blades drawn?" asked James with a grin.

"Working with people as smart as he was" corrected Miranda, "Cerberus never tells me that something is impossible, they give me my resources and say do it. They've given you even more, a new life, a new ship, the Illusive Man's personal attention."

James snorted, "You gave me a new life, the ships a loaner and trust me number three…not something I'm over joyed about. In fact just about the only thing I am grateful to Attila for is putting you on the team as my XO."

Now it was Miranda's turn to snort, "You'd have done fine without me. I may not have believed it before but I don't have what you do…..That fire inside you that makes someone willing to follow you into hell itself."

James was about to make a joke about that one where he saw her downcast eyes, saw the disappointment in her eyes, that admission had cost her.

She got up and walked to the window, looking away from him and out into the black of space, "My father got me the best genes money could buy, guess it wasn't enough" she said wirily.

James stayed where he was but lent forward, "You always bring up your genetic tailoring, it really bothers you doesn't it?" he asked, not knowing what else to say.

"This I what I am Shepard, I can't hide it, the intelligence, the looks, even the biotics" Miranda replied sadly.

As she spoke he rose softly and walked to stand behind her, looking out into the black.

"He paid for all of that" Miranda carried on without turning her tone full of regret, "Every one of your accomplishments is due to your skill, the only things I can take credit for are my mistakes."

James paused, he hated seeing her like this, she was the smartest, most powerful, most confident woman he'd ever met yet she had her pressure points, insecurities that seemed to make the whole house of cards collapse in on itself. There had to be a way to snap her out of this, to make her see…...

Maybe there was, this would either work or he'd end up dead…..so nothing new there then.

He lent against the bulkhead, looking at her, eyes narrowed, "That is possibly the stupidest, most deeply flawed statement I've ever heard Miranda and frankly beneath you."

She turned to look at him, eyes full of hurt, "What" she asked, her tone upset.

"You've got at least fifty IQ points on me but you can't see the flaw in that argument….one word, Oriana."

Now that was a button alright, the hurt in her eyes flashed to anger, "Shepard what the hell are you talking about" she spat.

"Simple, you think that your accomplishments are meaningless, that nothing you do is ever adequate…..well if that were true then it would also be true for Oriana, she's your genetic twin after all. But I've seen the way you talk about her, what she does, how she is. Pride doesn't even come close to describing it. Your damn proud of your sister, admit it."

"Of course I bloody am" snarled back Miranda.

"Good" snapped Shepard, "Why the hell shouldn't you be she's exceptional, beyond exceptional and you know what? So are you."

Miranda looked away angrily, Shepard moved up behind her, his tone softening and laid a hand gently on her shoulder, "You give your father way to much credit. Can't you see Miranda…..it doesn't matter what went into the genetic mix, it matters what you do with it. You think I'd have been fine without you, I'd have died on Haestrom if you hadn't bailed me out, I'd be dead a dozen times over, hell I'd never have been bought back. Cheating death and bringing a man back from the grave, only you could have done that, _you_ made the impossible possible. Take it from me, you're too damn smart for your own good sometimes, you can see everything I achieve, everything your sister achieves but somehow you miss out on what you achieve."

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Then she opened them and glanced at him, smiling ruefully, "You know Shepard, sometimes when you're right you can be a total pain in the arse about it."

James grinned back, "Hey it's not my fault that the genetic mutt managed to see the blindingly obvious that the perfect woman missed" he teased, "Beaten by a dumb grunt, that must sting."

Miranda snorted, "First of all it not a competition."

"Sure it is, I'm winning" replied James needling her with a grin.

"Secondly based on your combat records you practically a perfect bloody human specimen, talk about being blind to your achievements" she snapped back.

"Miranda Lawson just called _me_ the perfect human specimen eh, can I have that in writing" asked Shepard.

"Don't get cocky" she replied her eyes narrowing as she stepped closer to him and gesturing at his chest, "I'm the one who put you back together remember and I do damn good work."

"Really" replied James stepping forward with a grin, "Prove it."

He was enjoying this too much now he knew, he…..

Oh…..Wow…_WOW_…..

* * *

They moved together, her lips met his as he turned his head towards her.

Their mouths joined and they kissed, deeply, passionately, forcefully, enough to send a shiver down his spine. They both wanted more. Their mouths opened, their tongues met, searching, eager for each other.

Her hand went round the back of his neck pulling him tight into the kiss, gripping the short curls of hair at the nape of his neck hard.

His arms slid over her hips and around her waist, his hands on the small of her back pulling her body into his.

The kiss deepened, full of passion and fire, James could feel the heat inside her…..ice queen, _like hell_. Her full lips were soft, moist and hot, she moved them against his aggressively as is she was trying to devour him.

She fought him for control of the kiss….and inevitably she won, her tongue ran over his lips and eagerly into his mouth, questing for his even as she pulled him tighter.

He could feel her need…..her hunger...in her lips...her touch and he wanted her like he'd never wanted a woman in his life.

And then it was over.

Just as suddenly as it had begun it was over. Miranda stepped back away from him looking shocked. "What the hell was that" she asked taking another step back and touching a hand to her lips. For the first time since he'd met her she looked totally off balance and confused.

James raised an eyebrow, "Well I don't want to slip into technical jargon here, but I think it's called a kiss or something."

Miranda stepped back again and the walls came slamming down , "Okay this doesn't mean anything….we just…god I need to think…..I need…"

She was looking down desperately at the deck as if searching for answers.

Finally she got a grip and strode past him to the desk, "I'll talk to you later" she said her face a professional mask.

James just stood there, arms crossed, grinning and shaking his head.

Miranda turned and looked back at him, "And stop smiling damn it" she growled but her face lit up in a mischievous grin.

Shaking his head and still grinning ear to ear James walked to the door where he paused and looked back at her making no attempt to wipe the silly grin from his face. "Stop smiling. The most beautiful woman I've ever met just kissed me. I think it's safe to say I'm not going to stop smiling any time soon."

With that parting shot he stepped out the door, still grinning and ignoring her glare.

* * *

Miranda glared at Shepard's back as he left before she could think of an icy put down…that in itself was a bad sign. Her mind was whirling. What the hell had just happened?

What the hell had that been?

She was stunned….this situation had just spiralled out of control…what was she going to do now.

She lent her head back and put her hands over her face and allowed herself a silent groan. This changed everything. She had lost control for an instant and the consequences could be dire.

What was she going to do now?

What would the Illusive Man say when he found out?

What would Shepard think?

….and…..and what the _bloody hell_ did he mean _she_ kissed _him_?


	25. Chapter 25: 'Lady Luck'

**CH 25: 'Lady Luck'**

**Normandy SR2 (Deep Space).**

James got to his quarters still grinning and turned to his desk…..which was buried under a mound of papers. He was starting to worry that something was nesting in there and decided it was probably time to sort it out.

After all it wasn't fair on Miranda to stay this disorganised, it would only add to her work load.

Miranda.

Miranda…..

Oh hell…..oh sweet Jesus.

The enormity of what had just happened struck him like a delayed action thunder bolt and he sat down hard.

She'd kissed him…she'd kissed him and he'd kissed her back.

Oh Christ….he felt…

He didn't know what he felt, he was numb…...quite possibly in shock.

He needed to focus, to think, to work out what he should do next.

He resolved to try and get centred and clear his mind by feeding his fish.

….then he resolved not to buy any more fish until he'd got himself a VI to feed them.

Still the time it took to get rid of the latest batch of poor diseased marine life gave him time to think.

He decided he felt…..

Actually he felt pretty good…..no scratch that he felt really good.

So what if Miranda was Cerberus, so what she was his XO, so what she could be cold and deadly when she needed to be. She was a beautiful and she was smart and he'd enjoyed kissing her.

Reason and logic said it was a bad idea, that he should walk away now.

Reason and logic could go to hell.

He wondered what the hell he should do now. What would Miranda be thinking now? It didn't take a genius to work that one out. She'd he stressing out like never before. She'd be inventing new ways to worry and be experimenting with them.

Should he go and talk to her…..and say what? Good kiss?

James had never been desperately smart or articulate when it came to women but even he knew that was unlikely to go down well.

He ran a hand over his chin, absently noting that his scars were gone and the constant exposure to sun and wind on missions was tanning his previously sickly parlour after two years in a medical bay.

He was procrastinating; he needed to decide what to do.

Fortunately for him lady luck decided to choose that moment to make the entire process academic.

"Uh Commander we've got a problem" came Joker's voice over the com.

"What kind of problem" asked James standing up.

"You're gonna want to get down here" replied Joker.

* * *

"Shit" swore James looking at the information on his consul. The sensor readings were clear, a civilian freighter, the MSV Broken Arrow to be exact, was plunging out of control towards the planet of Jonus.

Its impact point, right on top of Fargone Colony, the main settlement on the planet.

Its cargo, munitions.

In effect it was a gigantic flying bomb and its effect impact would be the equivalent of a barrage of fission warheads.

They were the only vessel anything like close enough to assist. They had to get the engines back online and quick.

The problem with that, apart from riding a crashing ship full of explosives towards a planet, was that the distress calls were talking about Geth who would no doubt be opposed to the idea of saving the ship and the colony from their raid.

Doubtless they would have to have a full and frank exchange of views with the Geth before they could stabilise the ship.

"Never a dull moment" muttered James under his breath. "Right Joker get us there now. Kelly I want Jacob, Garrus and Tali geared up in the briefing room ready to go ASAP, Miranda to, she can run the op from the ship. We don't have time to waste so get moving."

* * *

**MSV Broken Arrow (Plummeting towards Jonus).**

"Warning, collision with the planets's surface is imminent" intoned EDI.

"Someone remind, me that's bad right?" asked Garrus.

"Shut up Garrus" growled Tali.

"I am transmitting a countdown to your hard suit HUDs to advise you of remaining time" continued the AI.

"Okay people you heard the lady. Fast and hard" ordered Shepard.

The fight through the ship was tough but they were ready for it. The Geth were a known quantity, their powerful weapons and shields made them deadly opponents in a straight up fight.

So Shepard cheated.

Tali's hacking abilities were second to none and she could open any route they chose. Shepard moved to out flank the Geth and had Tali seal off any entrances on their flanks so enemy reinforcements couldn't get around them.

For his part Garrus was right next to his friend, in step, overloading Geth shields with his EMP so the team could take them down in a hail of gufire. They fought their way down to the engine room, cutting down the Geth that tried to oppose them.

Quickly they secured the control room above the main engine room, Garrus moved to watch Tali's back while she accessed the systems while Shepard and Jacob covered the door.

"Shepard we have to reactivate the engines to stabilise the ship's trajectory" reported Tali.

"We've got four minutes fifty seconds to do it in" added Garrus.

Shepard gestured through the windows at the engine room, "That's ambush country down there Brother we need to be careful. Me and Jacob will lead, Tali you get to the engines and sort them out, Garrus cover her."

They all nodded, Garrus made sure his EMP was fully charged, "Okay brother on your lead" he said keeping his voice level.

"Copy that, don't get dead" replied Shepard.

* * *

The Geth were waiting for them, the moment they stepped into the engine room Shepard and Jacob started taking fire from troopers on the gantries at the far end of the room.

Garrus wanted to move forward, to join his friend in the fight but held his ground with Tali. He didn't like it but he would do what Shepard needed him to do.

Shepard dropped into cover and returned fire, stripping down a Geth's shields and then finishing it off with a high powered round to the head.

Jacob grabbed the other Geth with his biotics and lifted it up with a gesture. It floated helplessly in the air, until Shepard hit it with several rapid bursts of fire which reduced it to scrap metal.

"Garrus, Tali go now" ordered Shepard from below, "Jacob keep your eyes on those gantries."

Garrus led the way, his sniper rifle raised, Tali followed, her shot gun at the ready.

"We've got you covered Tali go for the controls" ordered Shepard.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than more Geth poured onto the gantries above them sending fire down there way. Tali immediately deployed a combat drone to distract them and opened fire with her shot gun but the team was quickly pinned down.

"You were saying brother" asked Garrus lightly as he overloaded the lead ones shields.

"Shut up and keep shooting" replied Shepard as he darted back and up the ramp, seeking a better position to lay down cover fire.

* * *

It was brutal, close ranged fighting and they were running out of time, Garrus was starting to get very worried.

But Shepard hit on the solution, he ordered Garrus and Jacob to lay down a storm of fire to cover Tali and let her activate the lower set of controls.

Meanwhile Shepard made a run for the controls on the upper level. Garrus saw his friend pause for a split second and then move like greased lightning, the tell-tale signs of an adrenalin rush. He charged up the ramp, ducking and dodging enemy fire.

He was mostly successful…but not entirely, several rounds struck his shields and one punched through and skimmed his shoulder, causing him to stagger but he carried on up, firing from the hip.

With a growl Garrus killed the Geth that had winged his friend and over loaded the next ones shields in time for Jacob to finish it with a burst of fire.

"You alright brother" asked Garrus over the com.

"Just fucking peachy" replied Shepard in a tight voice from above, "I'm at the controls, Tali are you ready."

"On your command Shepard" replied Tali between blasts from her shot gun.

"Then let's do this" ordered Shepard.

In quick succession they activated the engines from their consuls while Garrus and Jacob laid down blistering covering fire, drawing the Geth's attention.

"Shepard its ready" reported Tali seconds later, "You can initialise the engines from your consul. Hurry there's not much time."

"Working on it" replied Shepard from above.

"Please work fast brother" warned Garrus as he sniped a Geth all the while watching the count down.

"You want to come up here and do it be my guest" replied Shepard through gritted teeth as Geth fire ricocheted around him before Tali hacked one of the Geth and Garrus dropped the other with concentrated armour piercing rounds.

"Almost…almost…almost" Garrus heard over the com as he fired the Geth.

"Damn it Garrus watch your flank" shouted Jacob, "They're on to us."

"Hurry up brother I'm too pretty to die here" warned Garrus over the com.

"Piss off" replied Shepard with a snort, "This hacks a little tricky…..but I think….wait…..no…..yes….no….yes….yes….got it."

There was a pause then a flicker, a brief rumble like low thunder and then a steady, rhythmic thump as the engines came back on line and cycled up.

"See what did I tell you" replied Shepard triumphantly, "And in plenty of time to" he added as they concentrated their fire and finished of the last of the Geth.

Once the last trooper was down Garrus glanced at the countdown which was frozen on 4.2 seconds, "Shepard…..next time…..Tali does the hacking."

"Who says I'm coming with you two crazy bosh'tets again" asked Tali.

"We'd be lost without you" replied Shepard with a grin.

"Ha now I've heard everything" chuckled Tali, "Shall we see what there is to salvage?"

"Don't encourage his thievery" replied Garrus glaring at Shepard who gave him a wink in response.

Jacob sighed, "Man I need a vacation."

"This is your vacation" replied Garrus winking.

* * *

**Kodiak Shuttle:**

"Normandy from Alpha team we are inbound to you, ETA four minutes" radioed Shepard as the Kodiak left the Broken Arrow.

"Copy that Shepard" came Miranda's voice over the com, she sounded preoccupied.

"Credit for your thoughts Miranda" asked Shepard…then he froze.

Hmmm genius what could possibly be preying on Miranda's mind at the moment. How are you still alive?

Fortunately Miranda was either thinking of something else or was a consummate actress, "I've analysed some of the data you recovered from the Geth on the Broken Arrow, they mention a ship which is flagged in Cerberus's database as one of our assets."

Shepard sighed, "Oh boy, alright send me the files I'll look over them ASAP when I'm back."

* * *

**Normandy SR2 (Deep Sapce):**

Shepard skimmed through the email Miranda had received in response to her query to Cerberus on the data they'd retrieved from the Geth on the Broken Arrow, and the supporting files she'd prepared.

* * *

**From: Project Firewalker**

**Officer Lawson,**

**The MSV Rosalie, a survey ship with Cerberus connections, has gone missing. The survey team was field-testing a new prototype: the Hammerhead planet-side exploration rover. In addition, scientists Dr. Manuel Cayce and Dr. Robert O'Loy are aboard the MSV Rosalie and conducting research for us. We need you to find the ship, her survey team, and the doctors.**

**We believe that the ship referred to by the Geth is the Rosalie. We request you deploy your assets on a recovery mission.**

**The MSV Rosalie was last seen near planet Zeona (Elysta, Ismar Frontier).**

* * *

Normally he would discuss this sort of thing with Miranda face to face, for the simple reason that as their resident spy she could give him information and context he would lack and bring a different view point to his own, which tended to be combat centric.

At the moment though he thought that was probably not a good idea.

Instead he called a meeting with Garrus, Jacob and Miranda, what he was increasingly thinking of as his command team.

James saw Garrus lounging in the corridor waiting for him, "Hey Brother" said the Turian straightening up as he approached, "Hell of a fight through that ship, just like old times, you always did prefer speed and surprise to firepower."

"It's cleaner" admitted James, "You know how I feel. A dagger through the heart is so much more efficient and causes less collateral than a sledge hammer."

"Speaking of daggers" commented Garrus quietly as the click of high heels on deck plates sounded from the direction of the elevator and a moment later Miranda emerged.

"Commander Shepard" she said with a cold nod before stepping into the briefing room.

"Miranda" he said returning the nod.

Garrus looked at him, "Ouch. What did you do to piss her off."

"Long story" replied Shepard.

"I've got time" replied Garrus.

"I don't" replied James, "Come on we have a cluster fuck to de-fuckify."

* * *

"Project Fire Walker. What the hell is that?" asked Garrus.

"A research project by Cerberus's ministry division" replied Miranda. "Its focus was on creating hardware designed to deal with the next generation of threats and work with small, highly mobile forces such as Commandos on high risk mission."

"So what happened" asked Garrus, "How did a ship carrying the fruit of their labours disappear?"

"The way I see it there are two likely scenarios" said James, "Option one this ship has gone rouge or something similar."

"Hardly unprecedented" put in Garrus.

"But highly unlikely" countered Miranda, "After the incidents in our military division which you allude to we put into place safe guards to prevent that sort of situation re-occurring."

"Excuse me if I don't feel totally re-assured" countered Garrus.

"_Option two_" cut in Shepard, "There has been an attack on this ship by Geth or another party. Either way we need to do some recon. It the situation there is a break out we need to contain it before it spirals out of control. If it's an attack we need to rescue any survivors and recover what we can from it."

"Agreed" nodded Miranda.

"Likewise Commander" added Jacob.

Garrus signed, "Fine, fine but only so I can say I told you so."

James smiled, "Right well we'll move to the ships last known location. I'll go down with you Miranda, we'll take Tali for her salvage expertise and Samara in case we run into trouble. Garrus you be ready with Zaeed and Grunt to drop in if we do run into trouble."

* * *

**Zeona**

"Not that I'm an expert or anything" commented Shepard, "But that lava looks hot."

As the shuttle descended in a steep dive it passed a boiling torrent of lava plunging off of a cliff down into the abyss below.

"I prefer my geology room temperature" continued Shepard with a grimace.

"The birth of new foundations for the earth, the life cycle of the planet itself" replied Samara serenely. "It is a beautiful as it is deadly, the surface of the planet re-moulding itself into a new and grander form."

Shepard nodded, "I'll take your word for it…let's try not to land in it."

They touched down gingerly on a rocky spur overlooking a river of lava streaming past below.

Shepard stood out on the edge and looked out in time to see a stream of lava burst in a rain of fiery droplets.

He glanced back at Samara and grinned, "Okay…..that's pretty cool…metaphorically speaking."

"Looks like we've got wreckage" replied Miranda as the shuttle lifted off, her tone all business. She pointed to a container sitting behind a wrecked turbine.

James nodded, "We'll let's go poke around and see what we find."

A voice came out of nowhere and instantly they were alert, dropping into cover, weapons trained.

"I don't think the ship is safe. We've run into the Geth far too often. I'm going to stay at the next site with Doctor O'Loy."

"Just a recording" Miranda said rising although she kept her weapon ready.

James followed suit and led the way towards the cargo crate.

There was a terminal on the front…..which was child's play to hack and the front wall dropped away revealing the contents.

James stepped back and stared, "Holy crap" he said amazed before looking at Miranda and raising an eyebrow, "I thought this was meant to be an exploration vehicle, a rover of some sort?"

"That's what the files said" she replied.

"Uh huh" replied James, stepping closer and walking round the Hammerhead. "We'll that's no rover, it's a god damn tank."

* * *

With Miranda's knowledge of Cerberus tech and Tali's knowledge of tech in general they quickly got the Hammer Head up and running. James was impressed to find it was a hover tank, using repulsor technology to levitate and move around the battlefield. This made it extremely flexible…if a little difficult to manage.

He scrambled up into the cockpit and strapped himself into the divers?….pilots?...whatever, the seat with the steering wheel. Miranda joined him a moment later and strapped herself into the seat next to him…..rather tightly he thought.

"We can pilot the Hammerhead straight up the gorge and into the Normandy's hold if she enters the upper atmosphere" reported Miranda.

"We could" agreed James, "But how about we take this baby for a spin."

Miranda glared at him, "Shepard this is a multi-million credit proto-type. Do your really think it is a good idea to….even as I'm saying these words I'm realising how pointless they are."

James grinned, "Are you implying I don't always consider all the consequences to my actions Miranda."

She gave him a cold look, "I think we both know that's the case Shepard" she said her tone full of meaning.

Shepard paused and sighed, they were going to have to talk about this, and soon, but not here with Samara and Tali within ear shot.

So instead he cranked open the throttle and called back into the troop compartment, "Hang on tight."

He noticed they both were….and in Tali's case for dear life.

He banked the Hammerhead round tightly, throwing them all sharply to one side.

"Sorry about that" he said cheerfully, if looks could kill he'd have been toast.

"Primary systems online" reported an electronic voice. "Welcome to the M-44 Hammerhead infantry fighting vehicle. This is your on board VI."

"Talk about back seat drivers" commented James as he lifted the tank up on its rupulsors and hopped over a river of lava from one rocky spur to another.

He rapidly found a data packet and put the on-board probe to good use of it.

"Caution, guided missile system active" reported the AI.

"Oh nice" grinned James.

"Dear god" sighed Miranda resignedly.

There was a rocky wall ahead. James squeezed the triggers on the steering column, there was a flash as the missile struck the target, demolishing the wall in a flash.

"Oh hell yes. It's nice to have the big guns on my side or once" laughed James.

"Path is now clear" reported the VI and James needed no further prompting, he slammed open the jets and drove forward through the new opening…..and out over a yawning chasm.

* * *

James reacted instantly and opened up the repulsors and the throttles to full power…..driving them up over the cliff to land hard on a rocky stack.

"Oufff" he grunted as the air was knocked out of him.

"Shepard" growled Miranda a warning tone in her voice.

"What the hell was that" asked Tali.

"You don't want to know" replied Miranda.

"Oh relax I'm getting the hang of it now" replied Shepard cheerfully as he drove along the stack and jetted out into open air…using the repulsors and the thrusters to drive them over the chasm and onto the ledge beyond.

James didn't stop. He zipped along, enjoying the speed and agility of the Hammerhead, dropping over one ridge after another.

Miranda allowed him another couple of minutes of fun…..to practice the controls of course. Then she called in the Normandy for extraction.

James was disappointed. Everyone else was relieved.

* * *

There was, unsurprisingly, a good deal on interest as Shepard landed the Hammerhead in the Normandy's hold. As they dismounted a number of crew members had gathered round, looking on excitedly….until Miranda cast a single, glacial look in their direction.

Without a word the crewmen quick retreated, returning to their stations.

However Garrus, Kasumi and Zaeed appeared having clearly been waiting for their return.

Garrus took one look at the Hammerhead and stepped backwards horrified, "Oh spirits you've done it this time Miranda, we're screwed, you've given Shepard something to drive."

"I retrieved the package" replied Miranda with a shrug, "What he does with it is his concern. Of course if you're too afraid to complete the mission I understand, although I shall think less of you."

Shepard dropped down to the deck grinning, "In other words you're chicken brother."

"All this time I've known you and I've still no idea what one of those is", replied Garrus with a sigh.

"Cheer up Garrus" piped up Kasumi with a grin, "You've got a brand new gun to calibrate."

Garrus's face lit up at this and he glanced at the Hammerheads rocket launcher, "Well I suppose someone has to give Shepard a remote chance of hitting something."

"I'll hit you in a minute" replied Shepard grinning as they headed to the elevator, "Tali see if you can find the time to make sure he doesn't electrocute himself…..too badly."

The stream of abuse flicked back and forth between them…some things never change


	26. Chapter 26: Attributing Blame

**CH 26: Attributing Blame:**

**Normandy SR2 (Deep Space):**

"So in summary we now have a flying tank to add to our ever growing arsenal" Shepard said, "Any thoughts?"

"Yeah" chipped in Jacob dryly, "Our lives are getting progressively weirder."

"All in favour" asked Shepard and half a dozen hands shot up, "Motion carried" he said with a smile. "Okay we're moving forward and are soon going to be in a position to hit our next target, the derelict reaper located by the Illusive Man."

He gave them a hard look, "This time we'll be going in expecting trouble and I want to be on a war footing, ready for anything. I'm already planning on getting some shield modifications sorted out with Tali, but I want all of you to think hard for anything we've missed, anything which could give us an edge. I'll be round to irritate you later on as usual and we can talk about it then. Mean time anything else?"

There was nothing and after a moment James gave them the nod, "Right go do whatever you need to do. I need to check in on Kelly Chambers and see if I can make her tell me the secrete of how she stays so damn perky."

As everyone rose to leave he caught Miranda's eye.

She gave him a cool look, no flicker of acknowledgement, pure, calculating professionalism.

James frowned as everyone left and perched on the edge of the conference table with a sigh.

Of all the problems he'd anticipated when Miranda had kissed him, this wasn't on the list. Her doors had slammed shut and she was back in full professional mode…why?

What genius did you think this was Casablanca, that your roughish charms would sweep her away. Seriously how are you even still alive you idiot? She's freaking out and you, you're obsessing.

He needed to get a grip. He needed to talk to Miranda and thrash this out and soon, if he left it any longer it was going to create major problems. At least then they could get on with the mission.

First though he needed a word with Kelly. Unfortunately he was still the boss, he still had people to look after and a job to do. His own problems came after the team.

* * *

Kelly gave him her impression of a toothpaste commercial as he arrived, "How may I help you Commander."

"Hi Kelly what have you got for me today" he asked the young yeoman.

"You've got new messages and Thane would like to speak to you urgently" she replied.

"Okay I'll make sure to drop in. Anything else I need to know?" asked James.

"Nothing right now" replied Kelly, "Anything else Commander?"

James paused, "How are we doing Kelly, first gut reaction."

Her smile got wider which James thought was a violation of the laws of physics, "Were doing fine sir. Whatever happens we'll be ready and we trust you to see us through whatever we face."

James smiled, "Well then I better start repaying your trust Kel. I need to go annoy people with better things to do with their time. "

She nodded, "Okay…maybe we'll talk later."

"Sure" replied James with a nod as he headed to the elevator. He wondered about Kelly, of all the people on board she was among the most difficult to read.

"One problem at a time" he chuckled to himself as the door closed. He already had one enigmatic, beautiful woman who was giving him problems, he didn't need to go and create another one thank you very much.

* * *

Miranda was working in her office, as ever she was multi-tasking. She was working on a tactical assessment of the Hammerhead, its strengths and weaknesses. At the same time she was mentally cataloguing the team's weaknesses and working out how to best mitigate them.

All the while in the back of her kind she was replaying over, and over, and over again the events leading up to when Shepard kissed her.

Why did he do it? Why did she let him do it? Why…..why did she enjoy it so much?

Damn it, for two years she'd avoid any sort of complications, any sort of entanglement and it had worked. She'd achieved what should have been impossible and bought a man back from the dead.

Now….she was letting her feelings complicate matters, she was clinical, cold, calculating, that was her job, those were strengths. She had to look at things dispassionately not be blinded by biological urges like some hormonal teenager.

Even as the thought crossed her mind the door opened and the man in question stepped into her office.

"Miranda can we talk" he asked as the doors hissed closed behind him.

She sat back in her chair and nodded, "Yes, we need to discuss what happened."

He lent on the chair opposite, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" she replied, lying with all the ease that comes with practice. The truth was she was angry and confused and elated and exited and he was making her feel all of those things.

With an effort she pulled herself together, got her emotions under control and gave him the speech she'd been rehearsing in her mind.

"Shepard, what happened was a mistake, a moment of stupidity and we now have a serious problem. We have to stop this now before it gets worse."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at her, "I can't tell you what a boost that is to my ego" he said dryly.

"It didn't mean…...Shepard this cannot, _cannot_ continue" she snapped firmly.

"No" he asked, "Because of the problems it will cause?"

"Exactly" replied Miranda with a nod.

"Hmm" he replied, "So not because you don't want it to?"

"No, I mean yes" she started then glared, "Look it was a mistake and we need to forget it and move on."

"If it's such an issue why did you kiss me" asked Shepard leaning against the back of the chair.

Miranda's eyes narrowed, "I did not kiss you, you kissed me and you shouldn't have" she snapped back.

"Not the way I remember it" replied Shepard with a grin, "At one point I was worried I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen."

"You cannot be serious" Miranda said incredulously, she felt her irritation rising she didn't need this. "You kissed me Shepard, it's your fault we're in this mess."

"You know it's a good thing you probably know how to speak Arabic" shot back Shepard, "You'll need it to ask a passing boat for a lift given how deep in de-Nile you are."

Miranda rose to her feet angrily, her patience fraying, "Are you really that childish Shepard?" she asked acidly leaning towards him.

"Hey I'm not the one who's refusing to deal with the consequences of her actions" replied Shepard leaning closer.

Miranda's irritation boiled over in a wave "Aaaagh, you are the most insufferable, frustrating man I have ever met" she snapped throwing up her hands and walking to the window.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Miranda, you still kissed me" he shot back with a smirk, "Bottom line _you_ kissed _me_ and I want to know why."

"Trust me Shepard, when I kiss you, you'll know about it" replied Miranda, turning to face him with a sneer.

"Really" replied Shepard with a snort, "Well I know I'm a bit out of touch after two years but I'm pretty sure I know when I'm being kissed."

Miranda strode towards him angrily, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Shepard, than are dreamt of in your one track mind" she snapped pointing at his head.

"Really, care to share your new insight Ms Lawson? It'll give you time to think of more excused." he replied.

Miranda's temper flashed, months of frustration, of dealing with an immature, childish, god damn pain in the arse boiled over.

Before she knew what she was doing she put a hand on his chest hand, her biotics charged, pulsing with blue light and shoved him hard back against the bulk head.

Shepard grunted in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden movement and before he could recover, before she even knew what she was doing Miranda stepped forward, grabbed his face with both hands.

Her fingers, her hands….her whole body wreathed in crackling blue energy, she pulled his face to her and kissed him hard.

This time she didn't fight him for control, she just took it. Shepard moved to touch her but with an instinctual thought she brushed him aside with the biotic held and held him pinned.

The kiss was hot and fiery, she let biotic energy course through her body and into his through her lips and mouth, adding a literal spark to the embrace. Her eyes closed, her lips met his, her tongue darted into his mouth and she could feel his heart beat quicken as she leaned fully into the kiss.

In that moment all her worries, all her fears, all the reasons not to do anything where washed away by the thrill like liquid fire ran down her spine to the pit of her stomach.

She held him there for a long time….seconds…..minutes she didn't care, all that mattered was the ever deepening, passionate kiss, the taste of his lips, the warmth of his body against her and underneath it all the pounding of her heart.

* * *

She finally broke the kiss, gently letting go of his face and stepped back away from him, the blue light of biotics dying out.

James found himself leaning against the wall and blinked several times, "….huh…em" he managed…..but try as he might he couldn't think of anything else to say just then.

There was a long pause as Miranda stood there in front of him…..looking just a little flushed he thought.

James tried to think of something clever to say…..a witty retort…..something funny…something….._anything_.

Nothing came to mind. His brain seemed to have temporarily shut down.

Miranda raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow "Son of a bitch" she said quietly, "Son of a bloody bitch…._that's_ all it took to shut you up for five seconds?" she asked with a smirk.

"I….you" James managed.

"That's the best you can do" asked Miranda her smirk growing.

James blinked and with a great effort pulled himself together, "Okay…you win" he said quietly.

"I'm sorry?" asked Miranda giving him a pointed look.

"You win" repeated James, "I concede…..I kissed you."

Miranda raised the other eyebrow and smirked at him, "Thank you" she said graciously.

"The first time" added Shepard after a moment, standing up from where he was lent against the wall.

The smirked disappeared and was replaced with a frown.

"God…what are we doing Shepard" Miranda asked shaking her head in disbelief.

James considered this for a moment, "Honestly…I have no idea and quite possibly something incredibly stupid…but I think I want to find out" he replied after a moments consideration.

Miranda looked at him hard, "Shepard…we can't afford this distraction, it's a weakness."

James paused smiled, "Maybe….personally I think it's called being human…..it's one of the more fun bits. Why are you scared Ms Lawson" he asked teasingly.

She looked down at the deck then back up at him with a mischievous grin, "Cautious Commander Shepard. It has been my observation that you tend to be found at the epicentre of chaos and disaster."

Shepard gave her a wounded glare, "Hey that's….I….actually yeah fair point."

Miranda paused biting her lip, "It's….it's not that I'm not….._interested_ Shepard. But think about what could happen. This sort of thing it's….its fundamentally against eleven different Cerberus regulations and for good reason."

James shook his head and grinned, "I'm entirely sure you're right but let me make a suggestion. How about just this once you screw the rules and do what you want."

Miranda perched on the desk and shook her head, "You are a bad influence" she said the grin returning.

The smile totally transformed her face from sculpted perfection to a radiant beauty and James suddenly realised just how far out of his league he was batting.

"You're only just realising this now?" he asked with a smile. "But I make up for it in other ways. Look the only question is, is it worth taking the chance?"

Miranda rolled her eyes and smiled, "Well since the only way found to date of getting you to shut the hell up is to kiss you…I don't see how I have much choice."

There was a long, long pause.

Then James grinned, "Okay."

Miranda nodded, "Okay."

James returned the nod, "Okay then….so now what do you want to do?"

Miranda paused, "I…I don't know. For now I need to try and get my head round this…I need to think, and work. We still have a mission to complete and we need to be ready, someone has to stay on top of the paper work."

James nodded, "Alright I'll…..I'll see you later."

* * *

James left her officer her head spinning.

What the hell just happened?

Had he just…..

With Miranda…

His brain was just catching up with what his smart mouth had said in there. He needed a moment to just take this in.

He decided to go and see Thane and find out what was eating him, he needed to think about something other than Miranda for two minutes.

He went into the life support control centre where Thane had set up his quarters and opened the door. Thane was sitting at the table, his hands clasped in front of him lost in thought.

"Thane….is there something wrong" asked James from behind him.

"Yes" replied the assassin in his slightly croaky voice without looking around, "Now that you're here though it seems more difficult to talk about."

James raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling sick? I can get the doctor."

"No, no" replied Thane, "Though I suppose that is a part of it. My mortality has me dwelling on things. However I don't wish to burden you with my problems."

James raised an eyebrow, "Your problems are my problems Thane. Whatever's bothering you I want to hear about it."

The assassin rose and walked over to the weapon racks on the wall, looking at them intently.

"I had a family once. I still have a son. His name is Kolyat. I haven't seen him for a very long time."

James walked over to him and stood next to Thane, "That's…surprising although maybe it shouldn't be. I just don't normally think of people with our life styles having families."

"There is a reason for that I suspect. This life style is not conducive to maintaining a close relationship with those you love" replied Thane.

"How long has it been" asked James softly.

"Ten years" replied Thane, "He showed me some of his school work and asked if we could dance crazy. We did that when he was younger."

"What sort of dance is that?" asked James.

"Its…_I check my extranet contacts. I expect an update on my next target. Consul plays music. Old. Unfashionable._ _Kolyat jumps into the room. 'Hi Father' runs around in circles. I scoop him up, toss him into the air. He shrieks, laughs. 'Spin me'. The consul beeps. I put him down. Click the message. 'Father' he pleads. Tugs my sleeve. 'I need to read this' I say. I don't look at him.'_

James looked at Thane and raised an eyebrow at the rapid fire, monotone delivery, a sign he now recognised of the drell edict memory.

"What happened to your family Thane" he asked softly.

"I abandoned them" replied the assassin with crushing finality.

"That doesn't sound like you" replied James.

"Oh not all at once" Thane clarified, "Nothing dramatic. No sneaking out in the middle of the night. No final argument or slammed door."

"Let me guess" said James softly, "The job", he caught the look and shrugged, "I've seen it before to many times. We used to have an acronym in the brigade CIDS, Commando Induced Divorce Syndrome."

Than nodded, "That sounds about right. I just…did my job. I hunted and killed across the galaxy. 'Away on business' my wife would tell people. I was always away on business."

"I'm sorry Thane" James said softly because he couldn't think of anything else to say. "It sucks. But…..why now?"

"When my wife departed from her body I….attended to that issue. I left Kolyat in the care of his aunts and uncles. I have not seen him or talked to him since" explained Thane.

"That must have been a tough choice. I know what it's like to grow up without parents Thane, why didn't you raise him yourself?" asked James.

The Drell grimaced, "My body is blessed with the skills to take life. The hanar honed them in me. Unlike you Shepard I have few others. That was no life for my son. I wanted him to find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin."

James exhaled, "That's….heavy stuff. Are you having second thoughts now?"

"Not exactly" replied Thane, "I used my contacts to trace Kolyat. He has become…..disconnected. He does what his body wills."

"Sorry I don't follow" replied James.

"The body is not our true self, the soul is" clarified Thane. "Body and soul work as one in a whole person. When the soul is weakened by despair or fear, when the body is ill or injured the individual is disconnected, no longer whole."

"You're saying he's hurt?" asked James.

"No. Something has happened which should not have. He knows where I've been, what I've done."

"You mean he didn't before?" asked James.

"No I kept it from him. Now he has gone to the citadel. I don't know his reasons but he has taken a job as a hit man" Thane said the bitterness in his tone evident.

He took a deep breath then asked in a formal tone, "I would like your help to stop him. He is….this is not a path he should walk."

"You need me I'm there" replied James without a second's hesitation. "But why me. I'm a marine Thane I do orbital assaults and long marches in the dark. I don't have your contacts and yeah I can track but you could run rings around me. Why do you need me in all of this."

"I don't _need_ you help I want it" clarified Thane sharply.

"The last time I saw my son…._they wrapped her body in sea vines. Weighted with stones. He tried to pull from me. Calls for her. The hanar lift her off the platform. They sing like bells. 'The fire has gone to be kindled anew'. He begs them not to take her away. They let her body slide into the water. He hits me. 'Don't let them'.' Stop them'. 'Why weren't you…'It rains. It always rains on Kahje. Warm water pours down his face."_

James shook his head and closed his eyes, wincing at his friend's pain, "I'm sorry Thane, I didn't mean to make you relive that."

Than nodded, "Perfect memory. It is sometimes a burden."

James reached forward and put a hand on his friend shoulder, "Thane let me tell you what is going to happen here. We are going to find your son and we are going to keep him safe and I won't let anything stand in our way. We need to go to the Citadel anyway to take on supplies for the next phase of the mission, that trip just became my top priority."

Thane nodded gratefully, "Thank you Shepard."

James returned the nod, "It's what I do. I do have a question. Why the Citadel?"

Thane sighed, "Years ago I prepared a package for him. A relic of my ill spent life. I had volus bankers store it and arranged for delivery when I died. He acquired it early. I don't really know how. I did wet work on the Citadel around the time of his mother's death. That may be why he went there."

James nodded, "Well when we find him you can ask him yourself."

Thane nodded, "Thank you Shepard. I appreciate your assistance in this, I know Cerberus won't be happy."

James smiled, "Well that's just another reason to do it. Get some rest Thane we'll be there in a few hours."

"I will mediate until you need me" replied Thane and went back to his seat.

James was half way to the door when another thought struck him and he paused and turned back to look at the now seated assassin.

"Thane no one hires a raw rookie for a contract killing."

Thane replied without turning to face him, "I'm afraid someone may have seen we share a name and assumed we share skills. What I don't know is why he would accept the task."

James experienced a horrible moment of clarity, "To be closer to you maybe" he suggested softly.

There was a long pause and Thane bowed his head, "That thought haunts me more than any other" he replied.

James winced and turned to leave Thane to his thoughts. As he left he made a silent promise to himself.

'Not while I'm still breathing.'

* * *

James herd the door his closed behind him. This was serious. This was the worst aspect of caring for someone. If your family were in danger…

He'd had no one to watch his back when he was a kid. He'd been on his own and he knew what that meant. He was not going to let this kid flush his life down the tubes.

He'd had no one but Kolyat had his father. And Thane had James to back him up.

"Shepard."

A voice cut in to his thoughts, he turned around, "Garrus what happening?" he replied.

"I need to talk to you brother" said the Turian urgently. His eyes gleaming with anger.

"Sure, shoot" replied James.

"Not here" replied Garrus jerking his head towards the forward battery.

James nodded and followed his friend into the forward battery, "Okay brother you've got me sufficiently worried" he said, "Now what's up?"

Garrus turned to face him, his expression hard, his eyes cold, "I think I've got him brother. I think I've found the bastard."


	27. Chapter 27: 'Like Father'

**Authors Note: **Sorry for the long wait, thanks for bearing with me. As ever please let me know what you think, reviews good, bad or indifferent are all welcome.

* * *

**CH 27: 'Like Father...'**

**Normandy SR2 (Docking with the Citadel).**

"I hate this place" commented Shepard morosely looking through the cockpit windows.

"The galactic seat of culture and government?" asked Miranda dryly.

"Yep that's the one" agreed James as he watched them dock.

"Out of interest why?" asked Miranda.

"Every time I come here I end up with a new problem" replied Shepard.

"Didn't you meet Garrus there?" asked Jacob.

"Like I said a new problem every time" replied James with a laugh.

"I heard that" shouted the Turian from the CIC.

* * *

**The Citadel:**

James led Thane and Garrus through security and towards the C-Sec station where he'd met Captain Bailey previously.

"You'd think C-Sec security would be the tightest in the galaxy" commented Thane quietly.

"I've seen too much to believe that" commented Garrus with a humourless chuckle.

"I can see at least thirteen weaknesses that a skilled assassin could exploit" confirmed Thane.

"We're not storming the place, we play nice until I say otherwise" cautioned James.

He led the way through the security control into the C-Sec offices and towards the desk of Captain Bailey, the C-sec officer he'd met before.

Bailey looked up as they approached, "Oh great, just what I needed, you two idiots."

"I'm sure that's deserved but why?" asked James.

You know after your last visit to the council C-Sec had to double security on the presidium" replied Bailey, "Something about a threat to drown members of the council in the lake."

"And yet I didn't" replied James, "And in the spirit of that good will I need a favour."

"What do you want" asked Bailey.

"My friend's trying to find his son. We think a local crook may have hired him" said James cutting straight to the point.

Baily shrugged, "Should be easy. We don't see many drell here" he said with a tired smile.

He opened up a window on his monitor and tapped away at the scree, "There we go. One of my men reported a drell recently…..interesting, he was talking to Mouse."

"Mouse?" asked Thane softly.

"A petty criminal" replied Baily dismissively. "Probably not the guy who hired your boy but a messenger. He's a former duct rat, runs errands for anyone who'll pay."

"Sorry a what?" asked James.

"Duct rat" explained Baily, "It's a local slang for the poor kids who grow up on the station. When they're small they tend to play in the ventilation ducts where adults can't get to them."

James looked at Baily hard, "The ducts. Hell those things are lethal."

Baily nodded grimly, "Yeah every couple of months we pull a little body out of them. Lacerated by fan blades. Broken by a deadfall. Suffocated by vacuum exposure."

"It was one of the worst things we had to do while I was with C-Sec" commented Garrus softly, "No one gives a damn about those poor kids."

"There's plenty more that just disappear" added Bailey his tone getting grimmer still, "Maybe they get sucked into space. Maybe they fall into the protein vats the keepers run. Anyway Mouse was one of the smarter ones or maybe he was just lucky, he survived long enough that he can't fit into the ducts anymore."

"What shade of trouble is Mouse" asked James.

"Mouse isn't dangerous" replied Bailey, "He's does odd jobs for shifty people. Duct rats take whatever's available to get by. Data running. Fencing stolen goods. Selling illegal VI personalities."

He gave a dark chuckle, "Actually come to think of it he was selling one of you."

"What…me?" asked James.

"Oh that's the last thing we need another boost to his ego" commented Garrus.

Baily chuckled, "Yeah. When you erased a file it would say, "I delete data like you on the way to real errors."

"Oh come on really" asked James annoyed.

"A bit extreme even for you Shepard" replied Garrus.

"Laugh it up brother" replied James with a grin.

"Buggy though" muttered Bailey, "It crashed every half an hour. The error message was about how the galaxy was at stake and you should fix the problem yourself."

"Making a poor excuse to duck out and leave the hard work to others. I'd say they've got you pretty much nailed brother" Garrus said with a grin.

"Garrus I swear to god" growled James. He looked back at Bailey, "Where can we find Mouse?"

"He hangs around upstairs near the dark star" replied Bailey, "He words out of a public com terminal."

He smiled, "You know you should pick up a copy of the Shepard VI when you talk to him."

"Don't encourage his vanity" pleaded Garrus.

"Next time I'm shoving _you_ down a duct" replied James with snort.

Bailey's face grew serious and he looked at Thane, "It sounds like your boys running with the wrong crowd."

"Yes I agree" replied Thane simply, choosing as usual to keep it simple and direct.

"If Mouse can't put you in touch with your son directly he'll know who can. I'll help you if you need it."

"I appreciate that but why?" asked James, "You don't know us and you don't owe us. What's in it for you?"

Bailey snorted, "I've worked Zakera for two years. Every day kids turn to crime because they've got no other choice. Because their parents don't give a damn."

He gave then a look of respect, "You're trying to save yours."

"He faces a dark path" replied Thane sadly.

"Maybe but he's not going down it on our watch" replied James, "Let's move it."

As they walked away Thane whispered to Shepard, "You didn't tell him that Kolyat plans to assassinate someone."

"Didn't I?" asked James in a vacant tone, "It must have slipped my mind."

"Shepard….." began Thane.

"Have faith Thane. We're going to stop him before that happens so it's a non-issue isn't it" replied James with a smile.

"Yes we are" replied Thane his voice hard, "Thank you Shepard."

"Right lets go find Mouse" James said with a nod to the stairs.

* * *

"I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the citadel."

"There are literally no depths to which you will not plunge to get a discount are there?" asked Garrus.

"Hey with my charm, charisma and rugged good looks it would be a waste not to" replied James with a grin.

"Okay have you been smoking, snorting or injecting something you shouldn't have been?" asked Garrus dubiously.

"There" whispered Thane, cutting into their exchange.

"Yeah, yeah I can get that for you. No problem" a slightly scrawny human kid was talking to someone on a public terminal.

"Garrus watch our back. Thane let's go say hi" said James with a nod leading the way.

"Yeah sure I can get you to cases by the end of the day" muttered the kid as they approached, engrossed in his data pad.

"You Mouse?" asked James from behind.

The guy turned, "What do you….oh shit. Krios? I thought you retired."

Thane shook his head emphatically, James glanced sideways at the assassin. This was new. Mouse knew Thane?

"Commander Shepard? I thought you died."

"So did I, turns out I was just on a sabbatical" replied James.

"What do you want with me" asked Mouse.

"Be still Mouse" replied Thane softly placing a hand on his shoulder, "You can change your pants in a moment."

"How do you know Thane" cut in James.

"Krios?" asked Mouse confused, "He didn't...? Uh if he didn't say nothing, I aint either."

"I respect loyalty kid" replied James "But I don't like working in the dark" he added glancing at Thane.

Thane sighed, "When we heard the name I didn't think it could be the same Mouse. He was a contact on the Citadel when I was active. He and some other children would gather information on my targets."

"Jesus Thane" snapped James, "You put _children_ in danger."

Thane nodded, "Children. The poor. My people's word for their kind is 'drala'fa', the ignored. They're everywhere, see everything. Yet they are never seen."

"My peoples word for them is 'venerable'" replied James coldly, "They're desperate and can be taken advantage of and need to be protected from people who do."

Thane turned away and back to Mouse grabbing his shoulder and taking out his anger on the kid, "You gave another drell instructions for an assassination. Who's the target?"

Mouse shuddered, "I..I don't know. I didn't ask. The people I work for can make me disappear. I'd like to help you Krios, you always done right by us. But I ain't gonna die for you."

"It's not a question of that Mouse" cut in James softly, "Whoever these people are I promise you I deal with bigger bastards every day. You know Thane. He wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Do it for him and I promise you no one's gonna touch you."

"I want to" faltered Mouse, "He was always nice to us. But these people ain't nice Krios."

"If we have to we'll deal with them" Shepard said reassuringly, "But it won't come to that, no one's going to know you spoke to us."

"I swear you won't be named" added Thane reassuringly.

Mouse sighed, "All right, all right. He came with that holo you took of me. Said he wanted a job. I ran through your old contacts to see who might give him a shot. The guy who offered was Elas Kelham."

"Tell me about him" asked James.

Mouse rubbed the back of his beck uneasily, "Human. Moved to the Citadel about ten years ago. He was little people when you were here Krios."

Thane nodded for Mouse to continue and the kid obliged, picking up speed, "He got big after the geth attack. Lots of the big guys from before got cacked. All of them in big, fancy apartments up on the Presidium. Now he runs the rackets on the lower end of the ward. Shin Akiba. He's seriously bad news."

"So am I kid" replied James with a nod, "We'll take care of it, keep your head down for twenty four hours and then this'll all be over. You did the right think Mouse."

He smiled, "Yeah. Hope I live long enough to appreciate it."

"Trust me Mouse" replied James with a smile.

"Sure whatever I'm out of here. Krios next time you're on the Citadel do me a favour and leave me out of it" replied Mouse turning quickly and striding away.

* * *

James looked at Thane and raised an eyebrow, "You good to go."

"I'm fine" replied the assassin.

"You sure" asked James, "That couldn't have been easy."

Thane bowed his head, "Mouse knew more about my life than Kolyat ever did. _He smiles up at me, broken teeth and scabby knees. Bare feet black. A dead end future looking up at me. Worshiping the petty gifts I offer_."

Thane sighed, "I was the only good think he had back then. But I left him, as I left Kolyat."

James sighed, "I don't like that you put kids at risk but you didn't create the system that screws them Thane. You can't blame yourself."

"If I don't who will" asked Thane morosely, "We must carry the weight of our decisions Shepard. You of all people know this."

James sighed, "This is a conversation for another time with a lot more alcohol. For now let's head back to C-sec and have a little chat with Bailey about Elias Kelham.

* * *

Garrus told them he needed to check something out and would catch up with them. James left his friend to it and headed back to C-Sec with Thane.

The conversation with Bailey did not start well. As soon as James mentioned Elias Kelham, Bailey's face fell.

"Kelham. Shit" he swore closing his eyes. He sighed deeply, "Ah look this is awkward. Kelham and I have a…an agreement I guess. He doesn't cause too much trouble and 'buys tickets to the C-Sec Charity Ball' from me. In return…I ignore him."

James shook his head, "I thought you were better than that Captain" he said quietly, "Tell me how much is your honour worth? How about your pride? What's the interest on thirty pieces of silver these days?"

"It's not as simple as that" snapped Bailey.

"Yes it is" replied James, "You wear the white hat. Every time you put on your uniform you make a promise to do what's right no matter how hard it is. You were eager to help us before, how about now. To _inconvenient_?"

Bailey looked away, unwilling to meet Shepard's gaze, "I said I'd help its just….there'll be repercussions if I don't handle it right. Kelham and I….give each other space. It keeps the peace."

"Decision time. Peace or justice, you can't have both" replied James.

Bailey sighed, "I'll get some of my people to bring him in and set him up in a private room. You can interrogate him yourself."

James paused and his eyes narrowed, "No…no my team will bring him in. Clear out a room and give us space, keep your people out of sight" he said with a look at Thane. "We're going to use sleight of hand, make this look like something it's not."

Bailey shrugged, "Okay I'll make it happen but t what are you going to do."

"With luck convince Kelham that there's a new big fish in these waters" replied James, "And that it's a great white."

"You have a plan?" asked Thane.

"Yes, yes I do just bear with me two seconds" he replied opening a com channel from his omni tool.

"Miranda this is Shepard I need you to do something for me."

"I know I'm going to regret asking this but what" she asked over the channel.

"I need you to take Jacob and Zaeed and pick up a nasty piece of work by the name of Elias Kelham and bring him in alive, can you handle it" he asked.

"Of course" she replied, "But why can't you."

"I want him off guard. Zaeeds are there for muscle, don't let him to any permanent damage, but it is vital, absolutely vital that Kelham see's Jacob and your uniforms."

There was a pause and then Miranda replied…..and James had the impression that alone, in her office, she was smiling, "I understand Shepard, I'll be there shortly."

* * *

Garrus got back to them shortly after Miranda's team passed through heading to pick up Kelham.

"Where the hell have you been?" asked James.

"I had to pick something up" replied Garrus.

"Fine" replied James, "Well you're just in time for the party" he said with a nod towards the entrance to C-Sec.

They bought Kelham in, held between Jacob and Zaeed, his hands cuffed. Miranda walked behind them, her heels clicking a steady rhythm which would doubtless set the man on edge. Good James needed every edge he could get.

Jacob and Zaeed dragged Kelham into the empty interrogation room.

James glanced at Garrus, "Well we've got him. Tell Bailey we're ready."

Garrus nodded and headed back to the Captains office.

Bailey joined them a moment later with one of his officer, "We've got a problem. His lawyers here."

"Shit" snapped Shepard, "How the hell…."

Bet Elias has his VI set to page him if he sets foot in a C-Sec facility" cut in the Turian sergeant with Bailey.

"I'll stall him" Bailey said quickly, "Get in there and work fast."

"Great now were on the clock" sighed James. "Garrus keep a look out, give me a heads up if they're coming our way" ordered James. "Thane let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Miranda and Jacob met them at the door to the interview room, "Well he's secured, Zaeed's in there with him" Miranda said, "I take it you want to interrogate him yourself."

"What gave it away" asked James

Miranda raised an eyebrow and glanced purposefully at him.

James had changed into a nondescript suit, all black. Black suit, black shirt, black tie, black shoes. He needed to look the part, combat armour made him look like a soldier, right now he was going for the sinister psychopath look.

"So what's your plan" asked Thane.

"We need to isolate him, take away his power, make him feel small and scared and alone. The way we do that is by putting him in a world where all his power, all his influence is meaningless. In other words we need a threat which a local criminal boss, nasty as he is, wouldn't be in any position to counter or resist" said James.

"The Spectre's?", asked Thane.

"No I'm out and I'm not messing with them on their own turf. Besides we already have the perfect cover", he glanced at Miranda and Jacob meaningfully.

"You mean….." asked Thane getting what Shepard meant.

"Cry havoc and let slip the hounds of hell" replied James with a grin.

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "Its dogs of war."

"Is it?" asked James.

"Yes" she replied.

"Shit" growled James, "Oh well the point is let's see how Kelham deals with a ruthless agent of Cerberus."


	28. Chapter 28: Like Son

**Authors Note:** Thanks for all the support so far. As ever please review, comment and give me feedback. I want to know what you think.

* * *

**CH 28: ….like Son.**

**The Citadel.**

"Get me out of these restraints Bailey" snapped Kelham, "Pretty funny bringing m down here like this….."

"Bailey doesn't know you're here and right now he's the least of your problems" said Shepard as he paced behind the shackled man's chair.

"Who the hell are you two" snarled Kelham.

James jerked his head at Zaeed where he was slouched against the wall and the mercenary strode out, the door closing behind him.

"Who we are is not important. Who we represent well that is a different matter", replied James quietly. "You met my associates, I take it you recognise the symbol?"

He paused to let that hang for a long moment then carried on, "You're in very serious trouble Mr Kelham", James said as he paced behind the bound man's chair. "But there's good news. I am the magic man who can fix this. Tell me what I want to know and this can all go away."

"I want to see my advocate" snapped Kelham.

"And I want a three way with the Asari Consort and your sister" replied Shepard, "Looks like we're both in for a disappointing day."

James crossed his arms and smiled before continuing, "I know you hired an assassin. I know when. I know who and therein lies the problem. The people I work for are very serious people, they have no interest in you only in results. I have great latitude in the methods I use to achieve them."

Kelham squirmed slightly and James continued, "Now the problem is the assassin you hired _is_ of interest to us and we don't want his name cropping up on other peoples radar. So I need to know who your target is."

"Like hell" replied Kelham, "You're in way over your heads."

"Mr Kelham I was bought here to solve a problem" explained Shepard patiently, "Now I really don't want to stay here any longer than I have to so cut the crap and give me a name before I lose my temper."

"Bailey won't let you touch me" sneered Kelham.

"Bailey will do as he's told" replied James, "Don't you understand Mr Kelham, I control what happens here. Sooner or later you will dance to my tune."

"What kid" snorted Kelham, "You gonna bore me into confessing. You ain't shit. Come on hit me. I dare you."

"I'm not a sadist Mr Kelham" replied James which was true but irrelevant. He needed Kelham scared not angry.

"No huh?" snorted Kelham, "Didn't think you had the balls."

"Think carefully Elias. I want to catch the assassin. You are small fish, I do not need the headache of dealing with your corpse. Tell me who the target is and you'll never see me again" replied James his tone level.

"You want me to confess to putting a contract on someone. You think I'm stupid?" asked Kelham.

"Yes" replied James, "You are putting yourself through needless pain. Tell me the targets name and all this is over."

"I got no reason to believe you" replied Kelham dismissively.

James sighed. Thane stepped in close to him, "Shepard we are getting nowhere."

A message flashed up on Shepard's omni tool, 'Lawyer, ETA three minutes.'

"Are we done here" sneered Kelham, "Because I got people to see."

James lunged and pinned Kelhamn to the table in a choke hold. "I tried to be reasonable I really did but now you've pissed me off. You've got ten seconds to start talking before I castrate you without any anaesthetic. I'll just cut your balls off and sell them to a krogan."

As he spoke a small, black knife appeared in his hand with a twirl of his wrist and he pressed it into Kelham's crotch.

"Ten…..nine…..eight…..seven" he counted.

"Are you insane" snarled Kelham.

"According to my last psychologist" replied James, "Four…..three…..two."

"Okay…okay" hissed Kelham, "Christ Joram Talid. Okay you god damn psyco, Joram Talid."

"Keep talking" replied James.

"He's a turian running for office in the Zakera Ward. He messes with legitimate businessmen. I'm gonna stop it" replied Kelham.

"Where and when?" asked Thane.

"His apartment" replied Kelham, "The eight hundred blocks. You better hurry….."

The door hissed open, "What's going on here? Get away from my client" shouted someone in a tailored suit entering the room.

James grinned, "Snap" he said with a smile.

"You….you played me" snarled Kelham.

"Like a fiddle. Thanks for the help." replied James with a grin stepping back and making the knife disappear with a flick, "Let's move."

"This isn't over" spat Kelham.

"Yada, yada, yada" replied James as Thane and he headed for the door.

"Nicely done" said Thane with a nod.

"Wait" shouted Kelham, "You got what you wanted. Who ratted me out?"

"Let me tell you Kelham it would be very, very unhealthy for you to dwell on that subject. I ever see you again I will ram a shot gun up your ass and blow your brains out from the inside" replied James viciously.

"I'll find a name" snarled Kelham, "And when I do…."

"Elias" cut in the lawyer, "As your legal advocate I advise you to shut the hell up."

* * *

"What's the story" asked Bailey, "Why did Kelham hire the boy?"

"Assassination" replied James, "A turian named Joram Talid. You know him?"

"Talid?" asked Bailey, "Oh yeah. You might have seen his posters around. He'd promising to end organised crime on the ward. Thing is his message is all mixed up in race politics. He's anti human."

"Things are that bad" asked James.

"You seen the logo some of your people are wearing? Before the Geth attack aliens thought humans were violent upstarts. Imagine what it's like now. They see everything that's happened as a coup" replied Bailey.

James sighed, "That's how the system works I guess. Just got to hope there's enough smart people to see through it."

Bailey snorted, "Great in theory."

James shrugged, "We've got the who and the where. We need to get on this ASAP."

Bailey nodded, "Sergeant. Get a patrol car. These two need to get to the eight hundred blocks."

"Yes sir" replied the C-Sec officer.

James nodded to Thane, "The others can wait here. Give me two minutes to get my armour on then we're on it."

* * *

"Okay I've got eyes on" said James softly as he caught sight of Talid and a blood pact body guard.

A moment later Thane was just standing there next to him, having appeared out of nowhere.

"How do you want to play this?" asked Shepard.

"You follow Talid on the maintenance catwalks. Tell me what he's doing. The krogan bodyguard will make him easy to follow" whispered Thane.

"Consider it done" replied James, "Where will you be?"

"The darkest corner with the best view" replied Thane quietly.

James raised an eyebrow, "Alright but you be careful" he warned softly.

As James crept away he heard Thane start to prey, "Amonkira. Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass grant me forgiveness."

* * *

James got to the cat walk and kept to the shadows where he couldn't be seen from below.

"It's been wonderful talking with you all. I hope you'll come out on election day", boomed the turian's voice from below.

"I have eyes on Talid" whispered James into his com.

"Show the humans they can't have their own way" shouted a turian from below.

"Ha thanks", replied Talid, "Just remember, it's not all about the humans. They couldn't have gained this much power without the councils support. Taking back our ward is only the first step. We must remove the cowards and appeasers on the council."

"Okay he's boring me now" growled James.

"This doesn't stop here. I won't rest until the humans have been removed from power."

"Now he's getting on my few remaining nerves" added James.

"I'm in position" reported Thane.

"Have that, I'm moving to follow him" replied James following Talid from the walkway above.

He tracked Talid as he talked to a number of voters, giving Thane updates. Between them they kept Talid under covet surveillance the entire time.

James followed him through into a the gangway above a bar and saw something which made him stop, "Well, well, well" he chuckled, grimly, "Who would have through a corrupt politician."

"What?" asked Thane over the radio, "I don't have a good angle. What's he doing?"

"Ones of his guards is shaking down the bartender. Talid's crooked Thane."

"Target now in sight" replied Thane.

"Copy I'll move ahead and pick him up as he moves through" replied James.

He followed the gangway round and through a door…..straight into a stock room and a very surprised looking stock boy.

"Hey. Who are you" asked the stock boy.

"I'm with citadel health and safety" replied James his mouth moving faster than his brain, "We've had vermin reports in storage areas around here."

"What?" asked the kid confused, "You can't be serious. How did you get in here?"

"Through the damn door" replied James, "How else do you think. If I didn't have authorisation I couldn't be here."

"There's the keepers….." replied the kid then sighed, "Ah hell, never mind. Just….just go on through, okay."

"Thanks" replied James heading through the door.

"Stay close Shepard" warned Thane.

"On it" replied James catching sight of Talid, following closely.

Then suddenly all hell broke lose.

* * *

As Talid walked towards his apartment there was a shout and the next thing James knew there was a kid levelling a gun at Talid's back…..

A drell kid.

"Kolyat" yelled James.

Talid and the body guard both turned, so did the kid. But he turned back a moment later and opened fire.

"Call C-sec" roared the korgan pushing Talis out of the way and drawing his gun.

Kolyat's bullets struck him and the body guard went down hard.

Talid ran into his apartment and Kolyat chased after him gun drawn.

James vaulted down from the catwalk and sprinted after them, "Thane" he shouted as he passed the wounded Krogan.

"I saw him" replied the assassin appearing as if from nowhere as together they charged into the apartment.

* * *

They found Kolyat standing over Talid. The turian was kneeling, his hands behind his head with the kids gun trained on the back of his skull.

James levelled his pistol at the Kolyat, "Weapon on the floor Kolyat" he ordered, "Nice and slow."

"Who the hell….", began Kolyat, then he saw Thane.

"Kolyat" said Thane softly.

"This….this is a joke" laughed Kolyat bitterly, "Now? Now you show up?"

"Help me drell" pleaded Talid from the floor, "I'll do whatever you want."

"You shut up" ordered James.

Behind them the door hissed open, in walked Bailey and two more C-Sec officers.

"C-Sec" barked Bailey, "Put the gun down son."

"Get out of my way" snapped Kolyat, "I'm walking out. He's coming with me."

"They'll have snipers outside" cut in Thane gently.

"I don't need your help" snarled Kolyat.

"Really?", asked Jams sarcastically, "Your dads trying to help you. Do you know what happens when you shoot someone kid" he asked his voice low and deadly.

"Why don't I tell you? A slug of metal will leave the barrel of that weapon, traveling faster than the speed of sound and will hit the body of the man you're pointing it at. Being shots not like being stabbed with a knife you know, it's not a clean wound. The metal impacts and it deforms, it rips, it tears, it shreds flesh and shatters bone, cutting through until it punches its way out leaving an exit wound the size of your head."

"I…." began Kolyat.

James pulled the trigger of his pistol and put a round through the lamp behind Kolyat.

The kid turned and looked back, "What the hell."

James moved like lighting, two steps and he slammed his fist into Kolyat's face, he grabbed the kids pistol, yanked it out of his grip and tossed it aside.

"Talid fuck off" ordered James and the turian beat a hasty retreat.

"Yeah….yeah, I will" he replied.

Bailey watched as the turian retreated and then glanced at his officers, "Take the boy into custody."

"You son of a bitch" snarled Kolyat at Thane.

"Kid your dad doesn't have much time left. He's trying to make up for his mistakes."

"So what" spat Kolyat, "You came to get my forgiveness? So you can die in peace or something?"

Thane turned to his son and strode towards him, "I came to give you peace" he replied solemnly.

He took a deep breath then spoke softly, "You're angry because I wasn't there when your mother died."

Kolyat's voice was full of anger, "You weren't there when she was alive. Why should you be there when she died?"

"Your mother" replied Thane sadly, "They killed her to get to me. It was my fault. After her body was given to the deep I went to find them. The trigger men. The ringleaders. I hurt them. eventually killed them. When I finally went back to see you..…you were…...older. I should have stayed with you."

"I guess it's too bad for me you waited so long huh?" replied Kolyat bitterly.

"Kolyat" pleaded Thane, "I've taken many bad things out of the world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it."

James wondered what to say. What the hell could he say?

In the end it was Bailey who cut in, "This isn't a conversation you should have in front of strangers. Boys take Kolyat and his father back to the precinct. Give them a room…..and as much time as they need."

James glanced at Bailey, "Why" he asked softly.

"You think he's the only man who ever screwed up raising his kid?" asked Bailey grimly.

James nodded just one, "Thanks Bailey. I was wrong…you're one of the good guys."

Bailey snorted, "Yeah, yeah. I have to get back to the precinct. Come on I'll give you a lift."

* * *

When they got back they found Talid remonstrating angrily with the C-sec desk sergeant, the politician did not sound happy. Miranda, Jacob, Zaeed and Garrus were all watching from a distance with varying degrees of amusement, irritation and in the case of Miranda absolute neutrality.

"Thane we'll deal with the asshole, you go speak to your son" ordered Shepard.

Thane nodded his thanks and went to join Kolyat in the room C-Sec had prepared.

Shepard walked over to where Talid was yelling at the sergeant, "I want that bastard arrested for murder, he tried to kill me."

"And there for it's only attempted murder" replied Shepard slouching on the counter.

"You human" spat Talid, "You're as much to blame for this. You're all in it together. It sickens me."

Garrus narrowed his eyes, up until now Talid had been merely irritating him, now he was seriously starting to piss Garrus off. Taking shots at Shepard was unacceptable.

"Uh huh" Shepard said to Talid with a sigh, "You know what sickens me? People who take the moral high ground on corruption then shake down businesses for protection money Talid. Do you know I don't know if I should report you for extortion or just beat the crap out of you."

"Touch me and I will sue you into the ground. I will have you locked up till dooms day and the press will hound you" snapped Talid.

Garrus had, had enough. He strode towards them his fists clenched.

Shepard glared at the politician and shook his head contempt, "You not worth it you ungrateful, corrupt little shit."

Garrus tapped Talid on the shoulder and he turned around to face him.

"I happen not to share my friend's opinion you_ bare faced asshole_" snarled Garrus before delivering a thunderous punch to Talid's face.

The man fell to the floor, his nose spraying blood. Garrus stood over him and looked down at him with a contemptuous expression.

"You…..you" spat Talid, "You'd side with them…over your own kind."

"You're not my kind" spat Garrus, "You and me. We don't have anything in common. I'm a soldier; I'd die for that man. You don't believe in anything bigger than yourself."

He turned and walked away, "I want him arrested" screamed Talid.

"Go right ahead" replied Garrus, "My lawyers part vampire and all sociopath."

"I can imagine who he could be referring to" muttered Shepard just loud enough to Miranda to hear.

Miranda shot him a glare, but her eyes flashed with wry amusement.

* * *

Miranda stood with Shepard waiting for Thane to emerge.

"They've been in there a while" commented Shepard.

"How observant" replied Miranda.

"How long exactly" asked Shepard.

Miranda sighed and glanced at the clock on her omni tool, "Exactly two minutes forty one seconds since you last asked."

"Huh" replied Shepard fidgeting.

"Kids been through a lot" commented Bailey, he paused then continued "You know I ran some searches in the C-Sec archive. About ten years back a bunch of real bad people were killed. Like someone was cleaning house. The prime suspect was a drell. We never caught him."

Shepard shrugged, "Ten years is a long time and after the attack on the Citadel…..I'd say that persons most likely gone wouldn't you?"

Bailey nodded, "Yeah I guess you're probably right about that."

Just then the door opened and Thane emerged, he walked briskly over to them and stood before Shepard.

"How did it go?" asked Shepard.

Thane sighed, "Our problems…..they aren't something I can fix with a few words. We'll keep talking and see what happens."

Bailey sighed, "Look your boy shot some people. No one I feel sympathy for but there it is."

"I watched those guys shaking down businesses and threatening innocent people" cut in Shepard, Miranda suppressed a small smile at the predictable outrage. Red rag to a bull.

"Look he can't just get away with it" replied Bailey firmly.

"The kid wants to make a difference" said Shepard, "Give him community service."

"Community service for attempted murder?" asked Bailey incredulously, "What jury would agree to that?"

"They wouldn't" replied Shepard, "So this one has to stay off the books. An internal C-Sec matter."

"Sounds great" replied Bailey, "One problem Talid will go ballistic."

"I wouldn't worry about him" cut in Miranda smoothly. "Talid is going to get a message with footage of him extorting money from businessmen, details of illegal transactions and photographs of him and his mistress with a note saying if he causes problems all of the above will be going to C-Sec, the press and his wife."

"How do you know he's got a mistress?" asked Shepard.

"A man like that" she replied with a smirk, "Trust me Shepard he has a mistress and if not I will simply invent one for him."

Bailey raised an eyebrow and gave a dark chuckle, "That's my kind of nasty." He rose and eyed Thane critically, "Alright you've got yourself a deal" he said holding out his hand.

"Thank you Captain" replied Thane shaking his hand firmly.

"For what?" asked Bailey, "As far as I can remember this conversation never happened."

* * *

As they were getting ready to leave Miranda saw Garrus pull Shepard aside.

"I've got leads I need to chase up brother" Garrus said his tone firm, "I'm going to need twenty four hours."

Shepard sighed, "Alright brother but listen you find something you call me. You don't do something stupid, you call me."

"Shepard…." Garrus began.

"Brother I told you I'd see this through with you and I will" cut in Shepard, "But I want your word you won't try and do this alone."

Garrus nodded, "Alright brother" he said with a nod, "I promise."

Shepard nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, "Good luck."

Garrus nodded and returned the grip, "Thanks brother. Good job today. Thane's damn lucky you were here."

"Ah well you know the drill" replied James with a shrug.

"A man's walking down the street one day" replied Garrus with a grin.

Miranda looked at them and frowned, that phrase again, it was seriously getting on her nerves now. She made up her mind she was going to find out what it meant.


End file.
